What does "hyperparasite" mean?

Any parasite whose host is a parasite.

What is a synonym for "hyperparasite"?

Common synonyms include: epiparasite, superparasite.

Pronounced //ˌhaɪpəˈpæɹəsaɪt//.

//ˌhaɪpəˈpæɹəsaɪt// noun

noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Noun

1
Any parasite whose host is a parasite.
"Nose′ma [...] A genus of protozoa, including the supposed hyperparasite of the malarial organism; [...]"
2
An insect that parasitizes another parasitic insect. specifically
"Parasites and Hyperparasites.— [...] How the Pteromalus contrived to introduce its eggs into the Tetrastichus, and how the Tetrastichus managed to oust the Microgaster must for the present remain open questions for the consideration of the learned."

"Nose′ma [...] A genus of protozoa, including the supposed hyperparasite of the malarial organism; [...]"

From hyper- (prefix meaning ‘over, above, or beyond’) + parasite.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.