Parasitoid
/ˌpærəˈsaɪtɔɪd/noun
A parasite-like organism, especially an insect whose larvae develop on or in a single host and ultimately kill it.
Did you know?The term was coined in modern entomology from Greek roots, and parasitoids became famous because their life cycle is so eerily precise that they seem designed by a ritual, not evolution.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
para-
“beside, alongside, beyond”
Ancient Greek
Greek
sitos
“food, grain”
Late Latin
Latin
parasitus
“a person who eats at another’s table; a hanger-on”
19th Century
English
parasite
“an organism living on or in another organism and benefiting at its expense”
Early 20th Century
English
parasitoid
“a parasite-like organism, especially one whose young eventually kill the host”
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