alternate host

noun Ecology.

a host, other than the usual or primary host, on which a parasitic organism can sustain itself.

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Words nearby alternate host

alternate, alternate angles, alternate binaural loudness balance test, alternate cover test, alternate hemianesthesia, alternate host, alternate plumage, alternately, alternating calculus, alternating current, alternating group
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Scientific definitions for alternate host

alternate host

One of two species of host on which some pathogens, such as certain rust fungi, must develop to complete their life cycles.
A species of host other than the principal host on which a parasite can survive.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.