parasitic
Americanadjective
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of, relating to, or characteristic of parasites.
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(of diseases) due to parasites.
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Phonetics. excrescent.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of parasitic
1620–30; < Latin parasīticus < Greek parasītikós. See parasite, -ic
Explanation
The adjective parasitic is mainly a scientific term for talking about an organism that lives on a host, taking what it needs to stay alive while often injuring the host. By their nature, ticks, leeches, and lice are all parasitic; they live off their hosts. You can also use the word parasitic more metaphorically, to describe a person who takes without giving anything in return. A thirty year-old man who lives with his mother, eating her food and not paying rent, could be described as parasitic, since he survives by sponging off another person. Parasitic comes from the Greek word parasitos, "eating at another's table."
Vocabulary lists containing parasitic
The Poet X
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Turtles All the Way Down
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The Suffix -ic, Part 3
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Cyclosporiasis, a parasitic foodborne illness, is spreading across the U.S., with more than 1,000 infections being reported.
From Salon • Jul. 10, 2026
Several states, primarily in the Midwest and on the East Coast, have reported thousands of cases of cyclosporiasis, a parasitic disease that can cause an extended bout of debilitating diarrhea.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 10, 2026
The U.S. is waging a campaign against the parasitic fly, and Diebel is among the thousands of Texas ranchers who have been thrust to the front lines.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026
Screwworms are parasitic flies whose females lay eggs in open wounds and mucous membranes of living warm-blooded animals and people.
From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026
The wing sounds of approaching parasitic flies warn the larvae of some sawflies to herd together for protection.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
