---
title: parasitism — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «parasitism» in the school dictionary: A way of living in which one living thing (the parasite) lives on or inside another (the host) and takes food from it, harming it. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# parasitism

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** way, Fleas, We, tricks, cuckoo, Mistletoe · **What happens:** live, take, harm, be, learn, trick · **To what, where:** host, food, way, example, kind, trees

<!-- .vabout -->
«parasitism» in the school dictionary: its meaning for a pupil and its 6 examples, every sentence parsed by Mova itself — its syntax tree, a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies, and its pragmatics clause by clause. The word in the dictionary, with its sense in the lessons: [parasitism in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/parasitism.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .note -->
Usage: science — kept apart, not parsed.

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A way of living in which one living thing (the parasite) lives on or inside another (the host) and takes food from it, harming it.

<!-- fold The tree, 25 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:parasitism:m1:1
# text = A way of living in which one living thing (the parasite) lives on or inside another (the host) and takes food from it, harming it.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	way	way	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	nsubj	_	_
3	of	of	SCONJ	IN	_	4	mark	_	_
4	living	live	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	2	acl	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	which	which	DET	WDT	PronType=Int	7	det	_	_
7	one	one	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	compound	_	_
8	living	live	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	9	amod	_	_
9	thing	thing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	ccomp	_	_
10	(	(	PUNCT	-LRB-	_	12	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	parasite	parasite	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	appos	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	)	)	PUNCT	-RRB-	_	12	punct	_	_
14	lives	live	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
15	on	on	ADP	IN	_	21	case	_	_
16	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	21	cc	_	_
17	inside	inside	ADP	IN	_	21	case	_	_
18	another	another	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	21	det	_	_
19	(	(	PUNCT	-LRB-	_	21	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	21	det	_	_
21	host	host	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
22	)	)	PUNCT	-RRB-	_	21	punct	_	_
23	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	24	cc	_	_
24	takes	take	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	14	conj	_	_
25	food	food	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	24	obj	_	_
26	from	from	ADP	IN	_	27	case	_	_
27	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	24	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
28	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	29	punct	_	_
29	harming	harm	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	24	advcl	_	_
30	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	29	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
31	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	14	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **live** | gerund | a way *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn exist-47.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **live** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn exist-47.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **live** | present | a way |  |  | another host |  |  | vn exist-47.1-1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme on host=Location |
| 4 | **take** | present | a way *not said here* | food |  | way |  |  | vn bring-11.3 «NP V NP PP.initial\_location»: agent=Agent food=Theme from it=Initial\_Location |
| 5 | **harm** | gerund | a way *not said here* | way |  |  |  |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Stimulus it=Experiencer |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Fleas on a dog are an example of parasitism.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:parasitism:x1:1
# text = Fleas on a dog are an example of parasitism.
1	Fleas	flea	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	nsubj	_	_
2	on	on	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	dog	dog	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	nmod	_	_
5	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
6	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	example	example	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
8	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	parasitism	parasitism	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	7	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | Fleas on a dog | a example |  |  |  | of parasitism | tree rules |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
We learned about parasitism in science.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:parasitism:x2:1
# text = We learned about parasitism in science.
1	We	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	learned	learn	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	about	about	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	parasitism	parasitism	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	science	science	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **learn** | past | We |  |  |  |  | about parasitism in science | vn learn-14-2-1 «NP V PP.topic»: agent=Agent about parasitism=Topic |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The cuckoo's tricks are a kind of parasitism.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:parasitism:x3:1
# text = The cuckoo's tricks are a kind of parasitism.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	cuckoo	cuckoo	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	's	's	PART	POS	_	2	case	_	_
4	tricks	trick	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	nsubj	_	_
5	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	kind	kind	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
8	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	parasitism	parasitism	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	7	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | the cuckoo's tricks | a kind |  |  |  | of parasitism | tree rules |
| 2 | **trick** |  | the cuckoo |  |  |  |  |  | nom trick «act transitive»: poss=agent |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Mistletoe lives by parasitism on trees.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:parasitism:x4:1
# text = Mistletoe lives by parasitism on trees.
1	Mistletoe	Mistletoe	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	lives	live	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	by	by	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	parasitism	parasitism	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
5	on	on	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	trees	tree	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **live** | present | Mistletoe |  |  | trees |  | by parasitism | vn exist-47.1-1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme by parasitism=Location |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Parasitism harms the host.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:parasitism:x5:1
# text = Parasitism harms the host.
1	Parasitism	parasitism	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	harms	harm	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	host	host	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **harm** | present | Parasitism | the host |  |  |  |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Stimulus host=Experiencer |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ticks live by parasitism and can spread disease.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:parasitism:x6:1
# text = Ticks live by parasitism and can spread disease.
1	Ticks	tick	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nsubj	_	_
2	live	live	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	by	by	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	parasitism	parasitism	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
5	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
6	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	7	aux	_	_
7	spread	spread	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	conj	_	_
8	disease	disease	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **live** | present | Ticks |  |  |  |  | by parasitism | vn exist-47.1-1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme by parasitism=Location |
| 2 | **spread** | can | Ticks *not said here* | disease |  |  |  |  | vn appear-48.1.1 «PP.location V NP»: agent=Location disease=Theme |

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**Text:** the school dictionary of Mova's schools (`world/data/dictionary-schools/`), written for Mova. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each meaning and example read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

<!-- /div -->

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