parasite
nounUK /ˈpærəsaɪt/
US /ˈpærəsaɪt/
A parasite is a tiny living thing that lives on or inside another animal and takes food from it.
The doctor found a parasite in the dog's fur.
SYNONYMS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A person who always takes from others and gives nothing back.
He never pays for dinner; he's such a parasite.
3. A plant that lives on another plant and steals its food.
Mistletoe is a parasite that grows on tree branches.
4. In biology, an organism that feeds off a host and often harms it.
Malaria is caused by a parasite carried by mosquitoes.