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Parasite
Definitions
- 1 An organism that lives on or in another organism of a different species, deriving benefit from living on or in that other organism, while not contributing towards that other organism sufficiently to cover the cost to that other organism.
"Lice, fleas, ticks, and mites are widely spread parasites."
- 2 an animal or plant that lives in or on a host (another animal or plant); it obtains nourishment from the host without benefiting or killing the host wordnet
- 3 An organism that lives on or in another organism of a different species, deriving benefit from living on or in that other organism, while not contributing towards that other organism sufficiently to cover the cost to that other organism.; An internal parasite that is an animal or protist. informal, specifically
"He lacks, however, even the basic Dr. Kildare lingo about medical issues. For instance, he regularly misidentifies poppers as amyl nitrate, instead of amyl nitrite — two forms of heart medicine with different affects ^([sic]). Salmonella, a bacteria, is not usually classified as a parasite. And he mistakenly writes, "lenti means slow" in the lentiviruses. ("Lenti" means lens-shaped, biologists classify by structure, not by behavior.)"
- 4 a follower who hangs around a host (without benefit to the host) in hope of gain or advantage wordnet
- 5 A person who lives on other people's efforts or expense and gives little or nothing back. derogatory
"A royalist who publicly called for a military intervention to protect the parasite monarchy."
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- 6 A sycophant or hanger-on. derogatory
- 7 A climbing plant which is supported by a wall, trellis etc. literary, poetic
"Her golden tresses shade / The bosom's stainless pride, / Curling like tendrils of the parasite / Around a marble column."
- 8 A retainer or companion of an ancient Celtic warrior, who praised him in song or poetry at gatherings; a bard. historical
- 9 A component of a composite aircraft which is carried aloft and air-launched by a larger carrier aircraft or mother ship to support the primary mission of the carrier; a parasite aircraft.
"[…] parasiting and aerial refueling as range-extension measures. Second, parasiting would be exorbitantly expensive, because each parasite bomber would need its own carrier. Two bombers could be serviced by a single tanker, however,[…]"
- 10 An isolated (FSDU) (freestanding display unit ) attributive
"parasite display"
- 1 To parasitize. rare
"... parasiting upon her husband, taking everything and giving nothing in return, this woman had brought her husband to a condition of serious ill health because of his grief, anxiety, and despair over her failure."
Etymology
From Middle French parasite, from Latin parasitus, from Ancient Greek παράσιτος (parásitos, “person who eats at the table of another”), from noun use of adjective meaning "feeding beside", from παρά (pará, “beside”) + σῖτος (sîtos, “food”).
From Middle French parasite, from Latin parasitus, from Ancient Greek παράσιτος (parásitos, “person who eats at the table of another”), from noun use of adjective meaning "feeding beside", from παρά (pará, “beside”) + σῖτος (sîtos, “food”).
See also for "parasite"
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Unscramble this word: parasite