1. organisms that live in a symbiotic relationship where one benefits while the other is neither helped nor harmed
Usage: biology
2. people who eat together at the same table
Usage: formal

Examples

• The barnacles are commensals that attach to whales without harming their hosts.
• Many small fish serve as commensals by cleaning parasites from larger fish.
• The remora fish are classic examples of commensals in marine ecosystems.
• Birds that nest in trees are often commensals with their host plants.
• The formal dinner brought together commensals from different social circles.
• Medieval lords and their commensals shared elaborate feasts in the great hall.