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   par·a·site

   /ˈperəˌsīt/

   noun

   • 1. an organism that lives in or on an organism of another species (its host) and benefits by deriving nutrients at the other's expense: "the parasite attaches itself to the mouths of fishes"
   • 2. a person who habitually relies on or exploits others and gives nothing in return: derogatory "he was a parasite who lived off other people"

   Word Origin mid 16th century: via Latin from Greek parasitos ‘(person) eating at another's table’, from para- ‘alongside’ + sitos ‘food’.

   Scrabble Points: 10

   • P

     3

   • A

     1

   • R

     1

   • A

     1

   • S

     1

   • I

     1

   • T

     1

   • E

     1

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