parasitic
Living off others
Parasitic describes organisms that live on or inside another organism, deriving nourishment at the host's expense: parasitic worms, parasitic infections.
The word extends to people or things that take without contributing: a parasitic relationship, parasitic middlemen who add no value.
The implication is always of one-sided exploitation—feeding off others while giving nothing back.
Blood-feeding aquatic worm
- bloodsuckerOrganism feeding on plasma
- freeloaderOne exploiting others' generosity
- spongerOne who mooches
- moocherOne who cadges habitually
opportunistic · predatory · extractive · draining · leeching · vampiric · exploiter · user
Segmented intestinal parasite
- hookwormIntestinal blood-feeding nematode
- roundwormParasitic cylindrical worm
- pinwormIntestinal nematode parasite
- flukeChance stroke of luck
louse · tick · mite · flea · leech · nematode · helminth · protozoa
One receiving guests
- mutualismTwo-way biological benefit
- commensalismNeutral host, benefiting guest
- symbioticMutually dependent relationship
- relationshipConnection between entities
coevolution · obligate · facultative · brood · cuckoo · cowbird · nest · mimicry
Mosquito-borne parasitic infection
- giardiasisProtozoan intestinal infection
- toxoplasmosisParasitic infection from cats
- leishmaniasisSandfly-transmitted parasitic disease
- infectionPathogen invasion causing illness
transmission · vector · pathogen · fever · anemia · symptoms · diagnosis · treatment
Excessive emotional reliance on another
- relianceState of needing support
- clingingGripping without release
- needinessExcessive emotional reliance
- enmeshmentBoundary-blurring relational pattern
attachment · burden · drain · enabling · unhealthy · one-way · imbalanced · demanding
leech
Blood-feeding aquatic worm
- bloodsuckerOrganism feeding on plasma
- freeloaderOne exploiting others' generosity
- spongerOne who mooches
moocher · opportunistic · predatory · extractive · draining · leeching · vampiric · exploiter · user · taker
tapeworm
Segmented intestinal parasite
- hookwormIntestinal blood-feeding nematode
- roundwormParasitic cylindrical worm
- pinwormIntestinal nematode parasite
fluke · louse · tick · mite · flea · leech · nematode · helminth · protozoa · plasmodium
host
One receiving guests
- mutualismTwo-way biological benefit
- commensalismNeutral host, benefiting guest
- symbioticMutually dependent relationship
relationship · coevolution · obligate · facultative · brood · cuckoo · cowbird · nest · mimicry · adaptation
malaria
Mosquito-borne parasitic infection
- giardiasisProtozoan intestinal infection
- toxoplasmosisParasitic infection from cats
- leishmaniasisSandfly-transmitted parasitic disease
infection · transmission · vector · pathogen · fever · anemia · symptoms · diagnosis · treatment · endemic
codependency
Excessive emotional reliance on another
- relianceState of needing support
- clingingGripping without release
- needinessExcessive emotional reliance
enmeshment · attachment · burden · drain · enabling · unhealthy · one-way · imbalanced · demanding · consuming
- biology termscell, DNA, genetics, genetic, evolution
- medical adjectivessurgical, cardiac, orthopedic, malignant, respiratory
- root typestaproot, aerial roots, fibrous, prop roots, buttress roots
- chip designASIC, CMOS, fab, layout, die
- fungal traitsspores, hyphae, mycelium, gills, pores
- infectionsviral infection, bacterial infection, fungal infection, bacteremia, septicemia
parasiticsymbiotic
Mutually dependent relationship
mutualistic · commensal · cooperative · nonparasitic · beneficial
parasiticindependent
Free from external control
self-sufficient · self-reliant · autonomous · autotrophic · self-sustaining
parasiticproductive
Generating useful output
contributing · contributory · generative · beneficial · constructive
- parasitic relationshipOne organism drains another
- parasitic diseaseCondition caused by host-dependent organisms
- parasitic wormsOrganisms inhabiting host bodies
- brood parasiteSpecies using others' nests
- nest parasitismExploiting others' parental care
- parasitic behaviorExploiting others for gain
parasite, parasitism, parasitize, parasitical, parasitology, parasitized, parasitically, antiparasitic, parasitizing