Word Meanings - PARASITE - Book Publishers vocabulary database

1. One who frequents the tables of the rich, or who lives at another's expense, and earns his welcome by flattery; a hanger-on; a toady; a sycophant. Thou, with trembling fear, Or like a fawning parasite, obey'st. Milton. Parasites were called

Additional info about word: PARASITE

1. One who frequents the tables of the rich, or who lives at another's expense, and earns his welcome by flattery; a hanger-on; a toady; a sycophant. Thou, with trembling fear, Or like a fawning parasite, obey'st. Milton. Parasites were called such smell-feasts as would seek to be free guests at rich men's tables. Udall. A plant obtaining nourishment immediately from other plants to which it attaches itself, and whose juices it absorbs; -- sometimes, but erroneously, called epiphyte. A plant living on or within an animal, and supported at its expense, as many species of fungi of the genus Torrubia. An animal which lives during the whole or part of its existence on or in the body of some other animal, feeding upon its food, blood, or tissues, as lice, tapeworms, etc. An animal which steals the food of another, as the parasitic jager. An animal which habitually uses the nest of another, as the cowbird and the European cuckoo.

Related words: (words related to PARASITE)

• CALLOSUM
  The great band commissural fibers which unites the two cerebral hemispheres. See corpus callosum, under Carpus.
• CALLOW
  1. Destitute of feathers; naked; unfledged. An in the leafy summit, spied a nest, Which, o'er the callow young, a sparrow pressed. Dryden. 2. Immature; boyish; "green"; as, a callow youth. I perceive by this, thou art but a callow maid. Old Play .
• CALLE
  A kind of head covering; a caul. Chaucer.
• ANOTHER-GUESS
  Of another sort. It used to go in another-guess manner. Arbuthnot.
• FAWNINGLY
  In a fawning manner.
• SYCOPHANTIZE
  To play the sycophant.
• TOADYISM
  The practice of meanly fawning on another; base sycophancy; servile adulation.
• SYCOPHANT
  Gr. sycophante. The reason for the name is not certainly known. See 1. An informer; a talebearer. "Accusing sycophants, of all men, did best sort to his nature." Sir P. Sidney. 2. A base parasite; a mean or servile flatterer; especially,
• FLATTERY
  The act or practice of flattering; the act of pleasing by artiful commendation or compliments; adulation; false, insincere, or excessive praise. Just praise is only a debt, but flattery is a present. Rambler. Flattery corrupts both the receiver
• CALL
  callen, AS. ceallin; akin to Icel & Sw. kalla, Dan. kalde, D. kallen 1. To command or request to come or be present; to summon; as, to call a servant. Call hither Clifford; bid him come amain Shak. 2. To summon to the discharge of a particular
• HANGER
  1. One who hangs, or causes to be hanged; a hangman. 2. That by which a thing is suspended. Especially: A strap hung to the girdle, by which a dagger or sword is suspended. A part that suspends a journal box in which shafting runs. See Illust.
• TREMBLING
  Shaking; tottering; quivering. -- Trem"bling*ly, adv. Trembling poplar , the aspen.
• CALLIOPE
  The Muse that presides over eloquence and heroic poetry; mother of Orpheus, and chief of the nine Muses. (more info) beautiful) +
• CALLOT
  A plant coif or skullcap. Same as Calotte. B. Jonson.
• CALLIGRAPHIC; CALLIGRAPHICAL
  Of or pertaining to calligraphy. Excellence in the calligraphic act. T. Warton.
• TREMBLE
  1. To shake involuntarily, as with fear, cold, or weakness; to quake; to quiver; to shiver; to shudder; -- said of a person or an animal. I tremble still with fear. Shak. Frighted Turnus trembled as he spoke. Dryden. 2. To totter; to shake; --
• CALLOSE
  Furnished with protuberant or hardened spots.
• FAWN-COLORED
  Of the color of a fawn; light yellowish brown.
• TABLESPOON
  A spoon of the largest size commonly used at the table; -- distinguished from teaspoon, dessert spoon, etc.
• CALLIDITY
  Acuteness of discernment; cunningness; shrewdness. Her eagly-eyed callidity. C. Smart.
• ON-HANGER
  A hanger-on.
• GYMNASTICALLY
  In a gymnastic manner.
• HYPERCRITICALLY
  In a hypercritical manner.
• SCALLION
  A kind of small onion , native of Palestine; the eschalot, or shallot. 2. Any onion which does not "bottom out," but remains with a thick stem like a leek. Amer. Cyc.
• UNEMPIRICALLY
  Not empirically; without experiment or experience.
• UNIVOCALLY
  In a univocal manner; in one term; in one sense; not equivocally. How is sin univocally distinguished into venial and mortal, if the venial be not sin Bp. Hall.
• PARABOLICALLY
  1. By way of parable; in a parabolic manner. 2. In the form of a parabola.
• STEREOGRAPHICALLY
  In a stereographical manner; by delineation on a plane.
• CONSTABLESS
  The wife of a constable.
• HEMEROCALLIS
  A genus of plants, some species of which are cultivated for their beautiful flowers; day lily.
• ACRONYCALLY
  In an acronycal manner as rising at the setting of the sun, and vise versâ.
• DIAMETRICALLY
  In a diametrical manner; directly; as, diametrically opposite. Whose principles were diametrically opposed to his. Macaulay.
• PHYSIOLOGICALLY
  In a physiological manner.
• ETHNICALLY
  In an ethnical manner.
• ECCENTRICALLY
  In an eccentric manner. Drove eccentrically here and there. Lew Wallace.