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An artificial group formerly made for parasitic insects, as lice, ticks, mites, etc.

Of or pertaining to parasites; parasitic.

attery; a hanger-on; a toady; a sycophant. Thou, with trembling fear, Or like a fawning parasite, obey'st. Milton. Parasites were called such smell-feasts as would seek to be free guests at rich men's tables. Udall.

Of the nature of a parasite; fawning for food or favors; sycophantic. "Parasitic preachers." Milton.

Anything used to destroy parasites. Quain.

The state or behavior of a parasite; the act of a parasite. "Court parasitism." Milton.

To shade as with a parasol. [R.]

A small parasol.

The parasphenoid bone.

A secondary spiral in phyllotaxy, as one of the evident spirals in a pine cone.

An unlawful meeting.

Formed from a compound word. "Parasynthetic derivatives." Dr. Murray.

One guilty of pederasty; a sodomite.

Of or pertaining to pederasty.

The crime against nature; sodomy.

Fitted for trail or test; experimental; tentative; treating of attempts.

Any herb of the cruciferous genus Lepidium, especially the garden peppergrass, or garden cress, Lepidium sativum; -- called also pepperwort. All the species have a pungent flavor.

roundabout, or indirect, way of speaking; circumlocution. "To describe by enigmatic periphrases." De Quincey.

See Periphrase.

Expressing, or expressed, in more words than are necessary; characterized by periphrase; circumlocutory. Periphrastic conjugation (Gram.), a conjugation formed by the use of the simple verb with one or more auxiliaries.