parasite
UK[ˈpærəsaɪt]US[ˈpærəsaɪt]
n
an animal or plant that lives on or in another animal or plant of a different type and feeds from it
n
a person who is lazy and lives by getting money, food, etc. from other people
Morpheme Breakdown
para
site
para
beside
site
food
Etymology
the word 'parasite' has a literal and social history embedded in its greek roots. it originates from the greek 'parasitos', a compound of 'para-' (beside) and 'sitos' (grain, food). originally, it referred to a person who ate at another's table, a professional dinner guest who flattered the host for a meal. this social sense was adopted into latin as 'parasitus' and later into english. the biological meaning, describing an organism that lives in or on a host for nourishment, developed in the 18th century, extending the concept of one entity feeding beside or at the expense of another.
Analysis
Structure: para (beside) + site (food)
para (from greek, meaning "beside, alongside"); site (from greek 'sitos', meaning "grain, food")
Examples
the mistletoe plant is a parasite that grows on trees.
he was a parasite who lived off his family's wealth without working.
the doctor identified the intestinal parasite from the lab tests.