definitive host
noun
: the host in which the sexual reproduction of a parasite takes place compare intermediate host sense 1
Examples of definitive host in a Sentence
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Dogs are considered the definitive host for heartworms, which means that the parasite can grow to maturity and reproduce all within the host.
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Stephen C. George, Discover Magazine, 24 July 2023
Ants infected by a roundworm called Myrmeconema neotropicumturns turn from black to red and strike suicidal berry poses that attract hungry birds, the worm’s definitive host.
—Joe Pappalardo, Popular Mechanics, 23 Sep. 2019
Dogs and other carnivores are the definitive hosts, and mosquitoes serve as vectors.
—Marci Robin, Allure, 22 June 2018
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Stephen C. George, Discover Magazine, 24 July 2023
Ants infected by a roundworm called Myrmeconema neotropicumturns turn from black to red and strike suicidal berry poses that attract hungry birds, the worm’s definitive host.
—Joe Pappalardo, Popular Mechanics, 23 Sep. 2019
Dogs and other carnivores are the definitive hosts, and mosquitoes serve as vectors.
—Marci Robin, Allure, 22 June 2018
Cite this Entry
“Definitive host.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/definitive%20host. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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