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parasitism Definition

para·sit·ism (par′ə sīt′iz′əm)

noun

  1. the state or condition of being a parasite
  2. the habits of a parasite
  3. in the U.S.S.R., the state of being unemployed
  4. Biol. a symbiotic association of two kinds of organisms in which the parasite is benefited and the host is usually harmed
  5. Med. the condition of being infested with parasites

parasitism Synonyms

parasitism

n.

bloodsucking, sponging, dependency, predatoriness, predaciousness, ravenousness; see also dependence 1.

parasitism Usage Examples

Preposition: of

  • bureaucracy: The parasitism of the bureaucracy was undermining the very foundations of the planned economy.
  • capital: Given the parasitism of finance capital that can only result in endemic corruption.

Adjective modifier

  • social: Its appropriation of a vast share of the national income has the character of social parasitism.
  • sympatric: The graph shows observed parasitoid success after sympatric parasitism plotted against parasitoid success as predicted by the model.
  • intraspecific: Work with Graeme Ruxton from the University of Glasgow has focused on modeling intraspecific brood parasitism in various ways.
  • gastrointestinal: Lambs are often treated frequently to ensure high growth rates without the negative effects of gastrointestinal parasitism.
  • intestinal: Eosinophilia ( Eos 0.8 x 109/l ) is very rarely found in association with intestinal parasitism in horses.

Noun used with modifier

  • brood: In this project we hope to develop these ideas to the modeling of interspecific brood parasitism.
  • egg: Egg parasitism also played a role in the low number of bollworms in comparison with egg counts.
  • cuckoo: The evolution of cuckoo parasitism: a comparative analysis.