parasitar

to parasitize

verb pah-rah-see-TAHR Rare

Usage Note

Parasitar describes the relationship in which one organism or entity exploits another at its expense. It is used both literally in biology (un hongo que parasita los árboles) and figuratively for institutions or people that drain resources from a system. The noun form is parásito (parasite).

Examples

"El hongo parasita el árbol lentamente."

Natural Translation

The fungus parasitizes the tree slowly.

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