Antiparasitical

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Targeting organisms that live at the expense of a host
2. Pertaining to compounds or therapies aimed at eradicating parasites
3. Having the property of combating parasites that harm hosts ; concerning medicines or methods used to remove or kill parasites

Etymology: "Antiparasitical" is a plain compound: the prefix "anti-", meaning "against" or "opposed to", attached to "parasitical," the adjective form of "parasite." The prefix comes from Greek "anti," which meant "against," "opposite," or "in exchange for," and it has been used in English to form countless words expressing opposition, such as "antiseptic" and "antibody." "Parasitical" itself comes from "parasite," which in Greek meant "one who eats at another's table," from "para," beside, and "sitos," food or grain. Its earlier sense was a person who flattered a host in order to be fed, and only later was it applied to organisms that live on others. The adjective "parasitical" follows that same path, so the combined word describes things that act against those living organisms, most often through medicines or methods that remove or kill them.

Synonyms: antiparasitic, anti-parasitic