also: やどぬし
Only with reading しゅくしゅ
Refers to an organism that harbors a parasite, mutualist, or commensal. Used in biological and ecological contexts.
Only with reading やどぬし
Archaic or literary term for a person who provides lodging; now mostly replaced by 大家 (おおや) or 宿屋の主人. The reading やどぬし is explicitly associated with this sense.
The virus invades the host's cells.
This parasite only infects a specific host.
The traveler was shown to a room by the innkeeper.
In old tales, scenes where the landlord kindly entertains guests often appear.
寄生虫 is the organism that lives off another, while 宿主 is the host organism it lives on or in.
Standard kanji form for the common reading しゅくしゅ, used in biology and general contexts.
Rare reading for the landlord/innkeeper sense; the kanji form is shared with the common reading しゅくしゅ.
Kana spelling for the landlord/innkeeper sense, avoiding confusion with the しゅくしゅ reading.
宿主 is a compound of 宿 (lodging, dwelling) and 主 (master, owner). The reading しゅくしゅ is the standard Sino-Japanese reading, while やどぬし is a native Japanese reading (kun'yomi) that directly reflects the meaning 'innkeeper' or 'landlord'. The biological sense is a modern extension of the 'host' concept.