What is "epizoon"

Epizoon \Ep`i*zo"["o]n\, n.; pl. Epizoa. [NL., fr. Gr. 'epi` upon + zw^,on animal.] (Zo["o]l.) One of the artificial group of invertebrates of various kinds, which live parasitically upon the exterior of other animals; an ectozo["o]n. Among them are the lice, ticks, many acari, the lerneans, or fish lice, and other crustaceans.

"parasitic animal on the surface or in the skin of another," 1836, from epi- "on" + Greek zoon "animal" (see zoo-).

n. (context biology English) An external animal parasite

n. any external parasitic organism (as fleas) [syn: ectoparasite, ectozoan, ectozoon, epizoan]