commensal

[kuh-men-suhl]

adjective

1. eating together at the same table.

2. Ecology.,  (of an animal, plant, fungus, etc.) living with, on, or in another, without injury to either.

3. Sociology.,  (of a person or group) not competing while residing in or occupying the same area as another individual or group having independent or different values or customs.

noun

1. a companion at table.

2. Ecology.,  a commensal organism.

commensal

/ ˌkɒmɛnˈsælɪtɪ, kəˈmɛnsəl /

adjective

1. (of two different species of plant or animal) living in close association, such that one species benefits without harming the other

2. rare,  of or relating to eating together, esp at the same table

   commensal pleasures

noun

1. a commensal plant or animal

2. rare,  a companion at table

Other Word Forms

• commensalism noun
• commensality noun
• commensally adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of commensal¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Medieval Latin word commēnsālis. See com-, mensal ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of commensal¹

C14: from Medieval Latin commensālis, from Latin com- together + mensa table

Example Sentences

Scientists recently have come to appreciate the importance, for human health and disease, of microbes -- often called "commensals" -- that naturally dwell in the gut.

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The matcha mouthwash showed little activity against strains of commensal oral bacteria.

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Microbes in the gut live in a delicate balance, and commensal bacteria provide important benefits to the body by breaking down nutrients, producing metabolites, and -- importantly -- protecting against pathogens.

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Furthermore, the researchers successfully increased the proportion of commensal bacteria, which typically reside in the body, acting as a defense against harmful bacteria and boosting immunity.

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"Our results, then, provide support that the commensal colonization factor complex might also function in humans to enhance the colonization of B. vulgatus," Morrow said.

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