parasite.

1. An organism that lives in or on another organism and obtains resources at its host’s expense.

2. A person viewed as exploiting others for support without giving a fair return.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• intestinal parasite
• parasite host

On the page

The test identified a parasite in the sample.

The parasite relied on its host for nutrients.

The guide explained the organism’s life as a parasite.

Usage notes

Primary category: horror. Forms: Singular parasite; plural parasites. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings.