Hemophage

/ˈhɛmoʊfeɪdʒ/ noun

Definition

A cell or organism that consumes or feeds on blood.

Etymology

From Greek 'haima' (blood) + '-phage' (eater of, from 'phagein' to eat). The term describes anything that eats blood.

Kelly Says

Mosquitoes, ticks, bedbugs, and vampire bats are all hemophages—they've evolved to survive entirely on blood, and some of them can transmit deadly diseases like malaria and dengue fever.

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