commensal

[kuh-men-suh l]

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.

Origin of commensal

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

Related formscom·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. 2019

Examples from the Web for commensality

The rule is a very ancient Semitic one, due to the old connection between sacrifice and commensality.
Folkways|William Graham Sumner
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
Among the Greeks the right of commensality, or eating together, was restricted.
The Great Events by Famous Historians, Vol. 1|Various

British Dictionary definitions for commensality

commensal

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 Formscommensalism, 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

Word Origin and History for commensality

commensal

"one who eats at the same table" (as another), c.1400, from Old French commensal (15c.), from Medieval Latin commensalis, from com- "together" (see com-) + mensa (genitive mensalis) "table" (see mesa). Biological sense attested from 1870.

Medicine definitions for commensality

commensal

[kə-mĕn′səl]

adj.

Of, relating to, or characterized by a symbiotic relationship in which one species is benefited while the other is unaffected.

n.

An organism participating in a symbiotic relationship in which one species derives some benefit while the other is unaffected.