bottom feeder

• bottom-feeder, bottomfeeder

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bottom feeder (plural bottom feeders)

1. A fish or other aquatic creature that feeds off the bottom of its habitat; a flatfish.
2. (idiomatic, by extension) A person who operates amidst or thrives on the unwholesome things in a society; one who takes advantage of the misfortune of others.
   • 2013 Nov. 16, Christian Dem in NC, "Bottom-feeders using social media to intimidate witnesses," The Daily Kos:

     “[T]he rise of Facebook, Twitter and other social media has made it harder to control the flow of information, thus making it easier for bottom-feeders to bully witnesses.”

• bottom feeding

• bottom fishing