infest

infest
    v 1: invade in great numbers; "the roaches infested our kitchen"
         [syn: {infest}, {overrun}]
    2: occupy in large numbers or live on a host; "the Kudzu plant
       infests much of the South and is spreading to the North"
       [syn: {invade}, {overrun}, {infest}]
    3: live on or in a host, as of parasites
    

Infest \In*fest"\, a. [L. infestus. See {Infest}, v. t.]
   Mischievous; hurtful; harassing. [Obs.] --Spenser.
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Infest \In*fest"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Infested}; p. pr. & vb.
   n. {Infesting}.] [L. infestare, fr. infestus disturbed,
   hostile, troublesome; in in, against + the root of defendere:
   cf. F. infester. See {Defend}.]
   To trouble greatly by numbers or by frequency of presence; to
   disturb; to annoy; to frequent and molest or harass; as,
   fleas infest dogs and cats; a sea infested with pirates.
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         To poison vermin that infest his plants. --Cowper.
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         These, said the genius, are envy, avarice,
         superstition, love, with the like cares and passions
         that infest human life.                  --Addison.
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         And the cares, that infest the day,
         Shall fold their tents, like the Arabs,
         And as silently steal away.              --Longfellow.
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18 Moby Thesaurus words for "infest":
      beset, crawl with, creep with, flood, infiltrate, inundate, invade,
      overrun, overspread, overswarm, penetrate, permeate, pervade,
      plague, ravage, swarm, swarm over, swarm with