commensal

[ kuh-men-suhl ]

/ kəˈmɛn səl /

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adjective

eating together at the same table.

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

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

a companion at table.

Ecology. a commensal organism.

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Origin of commensal

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Medieval Latin word commēnsālis.See com-, mensal²

OTHER WORDS FROM commensal

com·men·sal·ism, nouncom·men·sal·i·ty

[kom-en-sal-i-tee], /ˌkɒm ɛnˈsæl ɪ ti/, nouncom·men·sal·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use commensal in a sentence

Wiping out commensal microbes opened the door to opportunists.
When Evolution Is Infectious - Issue 90: Something Green|Moises Velasquez-Manoff|September 30, 2020|Nautilus
The rule is a very ancient Semitic one, due to the old connection between sacrifice and commensality.
Folkways|William Graham Sumner
Among the Greeks the right of commensality, or eating together, was restricted.
The Great Events by Famous Historians, Vol. 1|Various
In some parts of Travancore, the latter do not even enjoy the privilege of commensality with the other Izhavas.
Castes and Tribes of Southern India|Edgar Thurston

British Dictionary definitions for commensal

commensal

/ (kəˈmɛnsəl) /

adjective

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

rare of or relating to eating together, esp at the same tablecommensal pleasures

noun

a commensal plant or animal

rare a companion at table

Derived forms of commensal

commensalism, nouncommensality (ˌkɒmɛnˈsælɪtɪ), nouncommensally, adverb

Word Origin for commensal

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012