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parasite

[ par-uh-sahyt ]

noun

  1. an organism that lives on or in an organism of another species, known as the host, from the body of which it obtains nutriment.
  2. a person who receives support, advantage, or the like, from another or others without giving any useful or proper return, as one who lives on the hospitality of others:

    They are greedy politicians, parasites with their snouts in the public trough.

    Synonyms: , , , ,

  3. (in ancient Greece) a person who received free meals in return for amusing or impudent conversation, flattering remarks, etc.


parasite

/ ˈpærəˌsaɪt; ˌpærəˈsɪtɪk /

noun

  1. an animal or plant that lives in or on another (the host) from which it obtains nourishment. The host does not benefit from the association and is often harmed by it
  2. a person who habitually lives at the expense of others; sponger
  3. (formerly) a sycophant
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged†2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

parasite

/ ±èă°ù′ə-²õÄ«³Ù′ /

  1. An organism that lives on or in a different kind of organism (the host) from which it gets some or all of its nourishment. Parasites are harmful to their hosts, although the damage they do ranges widely from minor inconvenience to debilitating or fatal disease.
  2. â—† A parasite that lives or feeds on the outer surface of the host's body, such as a louse, tick, or leech, is called an ectoparasite . Ectoparasites do not usually cause disease themselves although they are frequently a vector of disease, as in the case of ticks, which can transmit the organisms that cause such diseases as Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Lyme disease.
  3. â—† A parasite that lives inside the body of its host is called an endoparasite . Endoparasites include organisms such as tapeworms, hookworms, and trypanosomes that live within the host's organs or tissues, as well as organisms such as sporozoans that invade the host's cells.
  4. See more at host

parasite

  1. An organism that lives off or in another organism, obtaining nourishment and protection while offering no benefit in return. Human parasites are often harmful to the body and can cause diseases, such as trichinosis .
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Notes

The term parasite is often applied to a person who takes advantage of other people and fails to offer anything in return.
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Derived Forms

  • ËŒ±è²¹°ù²¹Ëˆ²õ¾±³Ù¾±³¦²¹±ô±ô²â, adverb
  • parasitic, adjective
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˜yÐÄvlog History and Origins

Origin of parasite1

First recorded in 1530–40; from Latin ±è²¹°ù²¹²õÄ«³Ù³Ü²õ, from Greek ±è²¹°ùá²õÄ«³Ù´Ç²õ one who eats at another's table, originally an adjective: “feeding beside,†equivalent to para- + ²õî³Ù(´Ç²õ) “grain, food†+ -os adjective suffix; para- 1
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˜yÐÄvlog History and Origins

Origin of parasite1

C16: via Latin from Greek parasitos one who lives at another's expense, from para- 1+ sitos grain
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Compare Meanings

How does parasite compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Mr Park says the families of the Jeju Air crash victims have been characterised as "parasites squandering the nation's money".

From

Literally, in between bouts of attacking federal workers as "parasites," Musk and his fanboys also whine that video games are too "woke" and this justifies fascism.

From

And like the Remora, Miller is known to eat the other parasites residing in and around Trump’s orifice.

From

Instead, he painted people with chronic diseases as parasites sucking up all our resources.

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Kennedy may dress this up as "prevention" or concern for children, but the message came through loud and clear: Medical patients are parasites who suck up resources from better, more responsible people.

From

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