adj.
Of, relating to, or characterized by a symbiotic relationship in which one species is benefited while the other is unaffected.
n.
An organism participating in a symbiotic relationship in which one species derives some benefit while the other is unaffected.
[Middle English, sharing a meal, from Medieval Latin commēnsālis : Latin com-, com- + Latin mēnsa, table.]
commensally com·men'sal·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
