Library / English Dictionary

PARASITE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Hypernyms ("parasite" is a kind of...):

being; organism (a living thing that has (or can develop) the ability to act or function independently)

Domain category:

flora; plant; plant life ((botany) a living organism lacking the power of locomotion)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "parasite"):

endoparasite; endozoan; entoparasite; entozoan; entozoon (any of various parasites that live in the internal organs of animals (especially intestinal worms))

ectoparasite; ectozoan; ectozoon; epizoan; epizoon (any external parasitic organism (as fleas))

parasitic plant (plant living on another plant and obtaining organic nutriment from it)

Antonym:

host (an animal or plant that nourishes and supports a parasite; it does not benefit and is often harmed by the association)

Derivation:

parasitic; parasitical (relating to or caused by parasites)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A follower who hangs around a host (without benefit to the host) in hope of gain or advantage

Synonyms:

leech; parasite; sponge; sponger

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("parasite" is a kind of...):

follower (a person who accepts the leadership of another)

Derivation:

parasitic; parasitical (of plants or persons; having the nature or habits of a parasite or leech; living off another)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Present simple (first person singular and plural, second person singular and plural, third person plural) of the verb parasite

Credits

 Context examples: 

This results in accumulation of free heme, which is toxic to the parasites.

(Amodiaquine, NCI Thesaurus)

A complete parasite gets all of its nutrients from the host organism, but a semi-parasite gets only some of its nutrients from the host.

(Parasite, NCI Dictionary)

There was some thick, bush-like clump which seemed to be a parasite upon a branch up which I was swarming.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

This may prevent their functioning and eventually kill the parasite.

(Acetarsol, NCI Thesaurus)

It is used for the detection of fungi, parasites, and yeasts, using fluorescent microscopy.

(Calcofluor White Stain, NCI Thesaurus)

A nitroimidazole derivative having an antiprotozoal activity by interfering with parasite protein biosynthesis, influencing cytokines production and stimulating host phagocytosis.

(Benznidazole, NCI Thesaurus)

Entamoeba histolytica, an extracellular protozoan parasite, is a human pathogen that invades the intestinal epithelium.

(Amoebiasis Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/KEGG)

Malaria parasites contain large amounts of heme-iron, a product from the digestion of hemoglobin.

(Artemisinin Dimer, NCI Thesaurus)

Mucosal immunity promotes resistance toward bacteria, viruses, and parasites in these ports of entry into the body.

(Mucosal Immunity, NCI Thesaurus)

The determination of the amount of ova and parasites present in a sample.

(Ova and Parasite Measurement, NCI Thesaurus)