parasitizing
Living off another
Parasitizing is living on or in another organism and drawing sustenance from it.
The term applies literally to biological parasites—tapeworms parasitizing a host's intestines, mistletoe parasitizing oak trees—and figuratively to exploitative relationships: corporations parasitizing public resources, a brother-in-law parasitizing the family's goodwill.
Extracting gradually, parasitically
- drainingDepleting one's reserves
- siphoningDrawing liquid through tube
- extractingPulling out from within
- depletingProgressively using up
preying · taking advantage · profiteering · abusing · manipulating · freeloading · mooching · sponging
One receiving guests
- infestationPest takeover situation
- larvaeImmature metamorphosing creatures
- eggsReproductive cells in shells
- organismLiving biological entity
vector · transmission · infection · life cycle · feeding · attachment · nutrient · tissue
Neutral host, benefiting guest
- mutualismTwo-way biological benefit
- coevolutionReciprocal adaptation between interacting species
- interdependenceReciprocal reliance between entities
- ecosystemInterconnected organisms and surroundings
adaptation · niche · coexistence · interspecies · specialization · mimicry · cuckoo · cowbird
leeching
Extracting gradually, parasitically
- drainingDepleting one's reserves
- siphoningDrawing liquid through tube
- extractingPulling out from within
depleting · preying · taking advantage · profiteering · abusing · manipulating · freeloading · mooching · sponging · bloodsucking
host
One receiving guests
- infestationPest takeover situation
- larvaeImmature metamorphosing creatures
- eggsReproductive cells in shells
organism · vector · transmission · infection · life cycle · feeding · attachment · nutrient · tissue · invasion
commensalism
Neutral host, benefiting guest
- mutualismTwo-way biological benefit
- coevolutionReciprocal adaptation between interacting species
- interdependenceReciprocal reliance between entities
ecosystem · adaptation · niche · coexistence · interspecies · specialization · mimicry · cuckoo · cowbird · obligate
- parasitismbloodsucking, leeching, exploiting, infecting, infestation
parasitizingnurturing
Supportive care-giving
supporting · sustaining · nourishing · reciprocating · giving
parasitizingcontributing
Giving to a cause
giving back · supporting · enriching · helping · serving
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