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noun

parasite

CEFR C1

an animal or plant that lives in or on a host (another animal or plant); it obtains nourishment from the host without benefiting or killing the host

In a sentence

Six example sentences with parasite, each labelled with its topic.

  • Travelers who drink from mountain streams sometimes return with a parasite that no pill in the cabinet will touch.

    Medicine

  • A parasite carried by imported beetles has thinned the ash trees along every hedgerow in the valley.

    Environment

  • The survival game gives your character a parasite after any drink from the swamp, and your stats fall steadily.

    Gaming

  • Biologists found a parasite that feeds on a fish's tongue and then takes its place, drawing blood from the host for years.

    Science

  • Sushi chefs freeze fresh fish for several days first, since a parasite in raw flesh survives only until the deep cold reaches it.

    Cooking

  • Trekking guides insist on boiling every kettle, since a tiny parasite in the stream water can ruin a week of hiking.

    Travel

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Found in these word lists

Found in 6 published word lists

Each source is a published word list that contains parasite. No exam board publishes an official GRE, GMAT or SAT list; GMAT words come from GRE lists and the Academic Word List.