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paratenic host

American  
[par-uh-ten-ik hohst] / ˌpær əˈtɛn ɪk ˈhoʊst /

noun

plural

paratenic hosts

  1. a living organism that harbors or spreads an immature parasite but is not needed for the parasite's development.

paratenic host Scientific  
/ păr′ə-tĕn′ĭk /

  1. See under host

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.

Humans acquire sparganosis by either drinking water contaminated with infected copepods or consuming the flesh of an under-cooked second intermediate or paratenic host.

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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.