verb
- lives on or in another organism as a parasite, obtaining nutrients at the host’s expense
Usage: biology; third person singular present tense
Examples
- The wasp parasitizes caterpillars by laying eggs inside their bodies.
- This fungus parasitizes oak trees, weakening them over time.
- The mistletoe parasitizes the host tree’s branches for water and nutrients.
- A tick parasitizes mammals by feeding on their blood.
- The cuckoo bird parasitizes other species by laying eggs in their nests.
- This bacteria parasitizes the intestinal tract of infected animals.