How to Use parasitism in a Sentence

parasitism

noun
Definition of parasitismnext
  • But for them at least, brood parasitism is clearly not a simple case of grifters and marks.
    — Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 29 June 2011
  • Yet despite their parasitism, mistletoes may well be the Robin Hoods of plants.
    — Rachel Ehrenberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Dec. 2020
  • The only way to test this hypothesis would be to compare present parasitism rates with those from the past.
    — Rachel Nuwer, Scientific American, 28 Apr. 2022
  • Either way, the study adds to the scant overall knowledge of defenses against mimicry and brood parasitism.
    — Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 July 2023
  • That’s because dozens of bird species are thought to engage in some form of brood parasitism, each with their own violent flair.
    — Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 26 Oct. 2021
  • In Frankopan’s telling, this is that same old story of parasitism writ large, now with planetary fallout.
    — Ben Ehrenreich, The New Republic, 10 May 2023
  • That’s why many organisms take up parasitism but very few ever give it up.
    — Ed Yong, The Atlantic, 26 July 2022
  • This practice is called brood parasitism and is unique on our continent to cowbirds.
    — Val Cunningham Special To The Star Tribune, Star Tribune, 6 July 2021
  • In most cases, wasps target these pests through parasitism.
    — Katherine J. Wu, Smithsonian, 22 Mar. 2018
  • The one-two punch of fire suppression and cowbird parasitism drove Kirtland's numbers down.
    — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, 11 Oct. 2019
  • Many decades ago, researchers noticed that some ant species employ a more clandestine kind of parasitism.
    — Viviane Callier, Quanta Magazine, 8 May 2023
  • Hauber studies a behavior known as brood parasitism, in which birds lay eggs in the nests of other species, leaving the unwitting foster parents to rear their chicks.
    — Matt Warren, Science | AAAS, 17 Apr. 2018
  • Such brood parasitism has arisen independently at least three times, in the groups known as cuckoos, cowbirds and honeyguides.
    — The Economist, 18 Jan. 2018
  • Open enrollment parasitism must be addressed at the state level.
    — Bob Dohr, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 29 Jan. 2020
  • Foitzik told me that her team couldn’t find any overt downsides to life as an infected ant, a finding that appears to shatter the standard paradigm of parasitism.
    — Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 18 May 2021
  • Some cuckoos are known for sneaking their own eggs into other birds' nests for their unwitting adoption, a tactic called brood parasitism.
    — Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 20 Apr. 2012
  • In each generation, prinias with unusual-looking eggs should be better able to avoid brood parasitism.
    — Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 20 Apr. 2012
  • Although there are few long-term data sets on any parasite species, there are one-off studies that document the abundance of parasitism at a particular place and time.
    — Rachel Nuwer, Scientific American, 28 Apr. 2022
  • As to why warblers and other victims of brood parasitism fail to retaliate by themselves evolving thicker eggshells, and thus faster-hatching young, that is unclear.
    — The Economist, 18 Jan. 2018
  • The cowbird practice of brood parasitism can, and has, had serious implications for other native birds.
    — Taylor Piephoff, charlotteobserver, 30 June 2017
  • This looks like a classic case of convergent evolution, but no one has been able to prove the point by demonstrating a benefit derived from it that is connected directly with brood parasitism.
    — The Economist, 18 Jan. 2018
  • One of the boldest themes is the concept of parasitism, something many insitutions have been accused of in what some see is their haste to receive credits for superficial attempts at being anti-racist.
    — Keyaira Boone, Essence, 25 June 2021
  • Different species of cordyceps infect different species of insects—and each took millions of years to perfect its particular brand of parasitism.
    — Ashley Stimpson, Popular Mechanics, 26 Jan. 2023
  • Such a relationship between species is called obligate parasitism, because the parasites cannot survive on their own.
    — Viviane Callier, Quanta Magazine, 8 May 2023
  • As native lake trout and burbot were decimated in Lake Michigan by overfishing, pollution and sea lamprey parasitism through the early and mid-1900s, alewife numbers soared.
    — Paul A. Smith, Journal Sentinel, 8 June 2022
  • Biologists have observed, over long periods of time, that species that are obligate parthenogens frequently die out from disease, parasitism or changes in habitat.
    — Mercedes Burns, CNN, 27 Dec. 2021
  • Brood parasitism is remarkably common among birds in general, and ducks in particular.
    — Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 29 June 2011
  • Unfortunately for the victimized (and the easily grossed-out reader), these kind of parasitism is stunningly widespread.
    — Andrew Moseman, Discover Magazine, 18 Aug. 2010
  • The internet need not be characterized by predation and parasitism.
    — Brendan Eichand, WSJ, 27 Apr. 2018
  • How and why these botanical curiosities resorted to parasitism remains a mystery.
    — Richard Pallardy, Discover Magazine, 15 July 2021

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'parasitism.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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