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Parasitic: meaning, definitions and examples

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parasitic

 

[ ˌpær.əˈsɪt.ɪk ]

Adjective
Context #1 | Adjective

biological context

Parasitic refers to a lifestyle or behavior where an organism benefits at the expense of another. This typically involves living on or in a host, drawing nutrients and benefits while harming the host organism. Parasitic relationships can be found in various forms, including physical parasites, like worms and lice, as well as ecological or social parasites, which exploit host organisms for survival or reproduction. The term is often used to describe both living organisms and metaphorically to refer to harmful relationships in social or economic contexts.

Synonyms

dependent, exploitative, infesting.

Examples of usage

  • The parasitic relationship between the tick and the deer is harmful to the host.
  • Some plants, like mistletoe, exhibit parasitic traits by drawing nutrients from trees.
  • Parasitic infections can have severe impacts on the health of the host organism.

Translations

Translations of the word "parasitic" in other languages:

🇵🇹 parasitário

🇮🇳 परजीवी

🇩🇪 parasitär

🇮🇩 parasit

🇺🇦 паразитичний

🇵🇱 pasożytniczy

🇯🇵 寄生的な

🇫🇷 parasitique

🇪🇸 parasitario

🇹🇷 parazitik

🇰🇷 기생적인

🇸🇦 طفيلي

🇨🇿 parazitární

🇸🇰 parazitárny

🇨🇳 寄生的

🇸🇮 parazitski

🇮🇸 snýkjur

🇰🇿 паразиттік

🇬🇪 პარაზიტული

🇦🇿 parazit

🇲🇽 parasitario

Etymology

The word 'parasitic' comes from the Latin 'parasiticus', which means 'of a parasite'. This Latin term, in turn, is derived from the Greek 'parasitos', which denotes a person who eats at the table of another—essentially describing someone who lives off the resources of others. The prefix 'para-' means 'beside' or 'alongside', while 'sitos' translates to 'food' or 'grain'. Over time, the term has evolved to encompass a broader range of contexts, including biology, sociology, and economics, characterizing relationships where one party benefits at the substantial cost of another. In modern usage, 'parasitic' is often used not only to describe biological organisms, such as parasites that inhabit hosts but also to discuss detrimental human behaviors or systems that exploit others for gain.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranked #10,692, this word falls into high-advanced vocabulary. It appears less frequently but is valuable for expressing precise meanings in specific contexts.