PARASITIC

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does parasitic mean? 

• PARASITIC (adjective)
  The adjective PARASITIC has 3 senses:

1. relating to or caused by parasites

2. of or pertaining to epenthesis

3. of plants or persons; having the nature or habits of a parasite or leech; living off another

  Familiarity information: PARASITIC used as an adjective is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PARASITIC (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Relating to or caused by parasites

Classified under:

Relational adjectives (pertainyms)

Synonyms:

parasitic; parasitical

Context example:

parasitic infection

Pertainym:

parasite (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)

Derivation:

parasite (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)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Of or pertaining to epenthesis

Classified under:

Relational adjectives (pertainyms)

Synonyms:

epenthetic; parasitic

Pertainym:

epenthesis (the insertion of a vowel or consonant into a word to make its pronunciation easier)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Of plants or persons; having the nature or habits of a parasite or leech; living off another

Synonyms:

bloodsucking; leechlike; parasitic; parasitical

Context example:

his indolent leechlike existence

Similar:

dependent (relying on or requiring a person or thing for support, supply, or what is needed)

Derivation:

parasite (a follower who hangs around a host (without benefit to the host) in hope of gain or advantage)

 Context examples 

A parasitic protozoal infection caused by Balantidium coli that involves the large intestinal mucosa.

(Balantidiasis, NCI Thesaurus)

A parasitic infection caused by Babesia.

(Babesiosis, NCI Thesaurus)

A protozoal parasitic infection caused by Microsporidia.

(Microsporidiosis, NCI Thesaurus)

Causes include tuberculosis, fungal infections, parasitic infections, and sarcoidosis.

(Granulomatous Endometritis, NCI Thesaurus)

A bacterial, fungal, or parasitic abscess that develops in the cerebral hemispheres.

(Cerebral Abscess, NCI Thesaurus)

A genus of parasitic protozoa that is the cause of cryptosporidiosis.

(Cryptosporidium, NCI Thesaurus)

A viral, bacterial, fungal, or parasitic infectious process that affects the gastrointestinal system.

(Gastrointestinal Infection, NCI Thesaurus)

A parasitic infection caused by Trypanosoma cruzi.

(Chagas Disease, NCI Thesaurus)

A taxonomic family of parasitic and pathogenic bacterium, which require sterols to grow, in the phylum Tenericutes that includes the genera Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma.

(Mycoplasmataceae, NCI Thesaurus)

Drugs used to treat bacterial and parasitic infections and some cancers.

(Antiparasitic Agent, NCI Dictionary)