intermediate host

noun

, Biology.

1. the host in which a parasite undergoes development but does not reach sexual maturity.

intermediate host

noun

1. an animal that acts as host to a parasite that has not yet become sexually mature

intermediate host

/ ĭn′tər-mē′dē-ĭt /

1. See under host

Word History and Origins

Origin of intermediate host¹

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

Vandegrift has speculated that mice might act as an intermediate host, but tests his team did of white-footed mice living near a research colony of deer infected with SARS‐CoV‑2 came back negative.

From Science Magazine

The 2009 swine H1N1 virus was a mixing event that led to mammalian adaptation, a process that is not straightforward in any intermediate host.

From Salon

But the civets proved to be intermediate hosts, and its natural host was later identified as horseshoe bats.

From New York Times

“We have sort of ignored dogs and cats as potential reservoirs or intermediate hosts,” he says.

From Scientific American

These nematodes infect a wide range of marine organisms; fish and cephalopods serve as intermediate hosts, while dolphins, whales, seals and other marine mammals are the final hosts.

From Salon