alternate host

noun Ecology.

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

Nearby words

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Science 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.