- pronunciation:
- pae
r
saIt
- features:
- Word History, Word Explorer, Word Parts
| part of speech: |
noun |
| definition: |
a plant, animal, or fungus that lives on or in another living thing, called the host. A parasite gets its food and energy from the host organism.
Several diseases are caused by parasites that live in the intestine. |
Parasite comes from an ancient Greek word for someone who earned free meals at the table of another by flattering the host during dinner.