Inquiline

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Definitions

1. An animal that lives within the nest, burrow, or body of another organism without harming it
2. A creature that inhabits the home or body of a host species, benefiting from its shelter or resources
3. An organism that dwells inside the dwelling or on the body of another animal while maintaining a commensal relationship

Etymology: Inquiline comes from Latin "inquilinus," meaning "tenant" or "lodger." The Latin word was built from "in," meaning "in," and "colere," meaning "to dwell" or "to inhabit," so the core idea is someone who dwells within a place that belongs to another. Its close relative in English is "inquilino," which entered the language from Spanish or Italian, making the two a doublet: one word that arrived by two separate routes from the same Latin source. The English form has kept the original sense of a lodger, and it is used in biology for an animal that lives inside the nest, burrow, or home of another species without harming its host. Some insects that live in ant colonies or wasps' nests are examples of this usage. The word thus stays close to its Latin meaning: a dweller in someone else's house.

Synonyms: commensal, lodger