phoresy

American

[fawr-uh-see] / ˈfɔr ə si /

noun

Zoology.

(among insects and arachnids) a nonparasitic relationship in which one species is carried about by another.

phoresy British

/ ˈfɒrəsɪ /

noun

an association in which one animal clings to another to ensure movement from place to place, as some mites use some insects

"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

Etymology

Origin of phoresy

1920–25; < New Latin phoresia < Greek phórēs ( is ) a wearing ( phorē-, verbid stem of phoreîn, durative of phérein to bear ¹ + -sis -sis ) + -ia -y ³

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.

Researchers refer to this form of freeloading as phoresy.

From Scientific American

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023