parasitoid

noun

par·​a·​sit·​oid ˈper-ə-sə-ˌtȯid 

-ˌsī-, 

ˈpa-rə-

: an insect and especially a wasp that completes its larval development within the body of another insect eventually killing it and is free-living as an adult

parasitoid adjective

Examples of parasitoid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Cilantro flowers are very small, perfect for attracting parasitoids and predators that feed on garden pests like Colorado potato beetle and tomato fruitworms. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 9 May 2026

Some of the parasitoids turned out to be Bootanomyia dorsalis from Europe. —Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025

Though there are many variations of parasitoids, the most famous example is probably Cotesia glomerata, a parasitoid wasp that preys on caterpillars. —Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 14 July 2025

These true friends include parasitoids, predators, predatory mites and beneficial nematodes. —Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1914, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

parasitoid

1 of 2 adjective

par·​a·​sit·​oid ˈpar-ə-sə-ˌtȯid  -ˌsīt-ˌȯid 

1

: resembling a parasite

2

: being a parasitoid

parasitoid

2 of 2 noun

: an insect and especially a wasp that completes its larval development within the body of another insect which it eventually kills and that is free-living as an adult