Spanish word

parásito

Pronunciation

IPA/paˈɾasito/

Meaning

  • masculine nounparasite

Example

Mi perro tiene un parásito.

My dog has a parasite.

Illustration for parásito (parasite)

More examples

Mi gato tenía un parásito y ahora está mejor.

My cat had a parasite and is better now.

Core concept

Organism that lives on or inside a host and harms it by relying on the host for food or reproduction.

Common phrases

  • tener un parásito

    have a parasite

  • eliminar un parásito

    remove a parasite

Similar words

gusano: Elongated soft-bodied invertebrate with a wormlike, legless form.
piojo: Tiny insect that clings to hair or the scalp and sucks the host's blood.
garrapata: Flat arachnid that attaches to skin and feeds on an animal's blood.
pulga: Small wingless jumper that infests fur or clothing and bites to feed on blood.

Definition in Spanish

Ser vivo que vive sobre o dentro de otro organismo (huésped) y depende de él para alimentarse o reproducirse, con frecuencia perjudicando al huésped.

Word origin

From Greek παράσιτος (parasitos) 'one who eats at another's table', via Latin parasitus, giving the biological sense of an organism that lives on or in a host.

Usage tips

  • The word is commonly used figuratively to call someone a freeloader, so calling a person parásito is a strong insult and often offensive.

Other meanings

  • freeloadernoun

Opposites

Related words

  • parasitismoparasitismnoun
  • parasitarioparasiticadjective

Word lists with this word