kleptoparasitism

English

WOTD – 11 February 2025

Etymology

From klepto- (prefix meaning ‘stealing, theft’) +‎ parasitism.[1]

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˌklɛptəʊˈpæɹəsɪtɪz(ə)m/
  • Audio (Southern England):(file)
  • (General American) IPA(key): /ˌklɛptoʊˈpɛɹəsɪˌtɪzəm/, /-ˌsaɪ-/
  • Audio (General American):(file)
  • Hyphenation: klep‧to‧pa‧ra‧sit‧i‧sm

Noun

kleptoparasitism (uncountable)

  1. (zoology) The parasitic theft of captured prey, nest material, etc., from animals of the same or another species.
    Hypernym: parasitism
    Coordinate term: brood parasitism

Alternative forms

Translations

References

  1. ^ “kleptoparasitism, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, July 2023.

Further reading

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