verb
- past tense of parasitize; to live on or in another organism as a parasite
Usage: biology
Examples
- The wasp parasitized the caterpillar by laying eggs inside its body.
- Many fish in the lake were parasitized by tiny worms.
- The researcher studied how certain fungi parasitized tree roots.
- Birds that were heavily parasitized showed signs of weakness.
- The tick parasitized the deer for several days before dropping off.
- Scientists discovered that the bacteria had parasitized the host cells.