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“parasite”
1. An organism that lives on another body or in another species, known as the host, of which it obtains nutriments: Mistletoe is a parasite that lives on trees and is used in some cultures as a holiday decoration in homes.
2. A person who receives support, advantage, or the like, from another or others without returning anything useful; such as, anyone who lives on the hospitality of others: Some citizens are of the opinion that people who are receiving financial support from the government for doing nothing in return are really useless parasites and should be forced to work.
3. In ancient Greece, a person who received free meals in return for amusing or making flattering remarks, etc.: Some royal courts in ancient Greece employed parasites to entertain them with music or to provide humorous conversations.
4. From Latin parasitus, from Greek parasitos "someone who eats at the table of another"; "feeding beside" from para- "beside" + sitos "food".
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2. A person who receives support, advantage, or the like, from another or others without returning anything useful; such as, anyone who lives on the hospitality of others: Some citizens are of the opinion that people who are receiving financial support from the government for doing nothing in return are really useless parasites and should be forced to work.
3. In ancient Greece, a person who received free meals in return for amusing or making flattering remarks, etc.: Some royal courts in ancient Greece employed parasites to entertain them with music or to provide humorous conversations.
4. From Latin parasitus, from Greek parasitos "someone who eats at the table of another"; "feeding beside" from para- "beside" + sitos "food".
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This entry is located in the following units:
para-, par-
(page 10)
sitio-, siti-, sito-, sit-, -sitia +
(page 2)
Word Entries containing the term:
“parasite”
obligate parasite
An organism that can exist only as a parasite.
Word Entries at Get Words:
“parasite”
Those who receive support, advantages, etc. from another or others without giving anything useful or proper in return; as those who live at the expense of another person or other people. (2)
This entry is located in the following unit:
Word a Day Revisited Index of Cartoons Illustrating the Meanings of Words
(page 59)