parasite

C1 Topic:Space, Position & Direction

US /ˈpæɹəˌsaɪt/ UK /ˈpæɹəˌsaɪt/ See IPA manual

Freq #11193

Meanings

1

noun
An animal or plant that lives on or inside another and feeds off it.

Lice, fleas, and ticks are common parasites.
2

noun
A person who lives off others and gives nothing in return.

They saw him as a parasite, sponging off his wealthy relatives.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 noun · a person who lives off... bloodsuckerfreeloaderleechsponger

Opposites

commensalmutualist

Word family

Forms parasites

Derived forms alloparasiteantiparasitecoproparasiteecoparasiteectoparasiteendoparasiteenteroparasiteentomoparasiteepiparasiteexoparasitehaemoparasitehemiparasite

Related forms facultative obligatesito-symbiont

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”).

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# parasite

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈpæɹəˌsaɪt/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈpæɹəˌsaɪt/
**Frequency rank:** 11193

## Meanings
1. An animal or plant that lives on or inside another and feeds off it.
2. A person who lives off others and gives nothing in return.

## Examples
- Lice, fleas, and ticks are common parasites.
- They saw him as a parasite, sponging off his wealthy relatives.

## Antonyms
- commensal
- mutualist

## Derived Forms
- alloparasite
- antiparasite
- coproparasite
- ecoparasite
- ectoparasite
- endoparasite
- enteroparasite
- entomoparasite
- epiparasite
- exoparasite
- haemoparasite
- hemiparasite

## Related Forms
- facultative
- obligate
- sito-
- symbiont

## 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”).

## AI Etymology
Parasite is 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”). The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern nominal form is built from the named base and affix. In present-day use, it can mean an animal or plant that lives on or inside another and feeds off it, or a person who lives off others and gives nothing in return. Related forms include facultative, obligate, sito-, symbiont. Derived formations include alloparasite, antiparasite, coproparasite, ecoparasite, ectoparasite.

## Topics
- Space, Position & Direction

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parasite

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