predator

American  

[pred-uh-ter, -tawr] / ˈprɛd ə tər, -ˌtɔr /

noun

• predators
  plural

1. 

   Zoology. any organism that exists by preying upon other organisms.

   Cats are carnivorous predators.

2. a person or group that plunders, pillages, or robs, as in war.

   The Vikings were barbarian predators.

3. a person, group, or business that exploits, victimizes, or preys on others: corporate predators who go after smaller rivals.

   a sexual predator who targets children;

   corporate predators who go after smaller rivals.

4. an overbearing, greedy or selfish person.

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predator British  

/ ˈprɛdətə /

noun

1. any carnivorous animal

2. a predatory person or thing

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predator Scientific  

/ prĕd′ə-tər /

1. An animal that lives by capturing and eating other animals.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• antipredator
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• predators
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of predator

First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin praedātor “plunderer, pillager,” equivalent to praedā(rī) “to plunder, pillage” (derivative of praeda “booty, plunder”) + -tor, agent noun suffix; see origin at prey, -tor

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Explanation

A predator is an animal that eats other animals — or people or companies who act like they do. Lions are predators, but so are pickpockets and some giant corporations. The word predator started out referring to insects that ate other insects, but has grown to include any animal that eats another animal. We humans like to think of ourselves as the top of the food chain, but scary movies love to disagree, like in the 1987 movie Predator, where creepy aliens try to kill and eat us. Predators don't have to kill and eat you, though; they can also just take your stuff. It's from the Latin word praedator, which means "plunderer," which is more like something a pirate would do.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

predator predators

They discovered it belonged to a Saurichthys - a predator fish that lived in shallow tropical seas during the Late Triassic period.

From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026

Eager to catch his biggest fish yet and keep the show highly rated, Hansen made the fatal mistake of pursuing the predator, rather than trapping him.

From Salon ● Sep. 26, 2026

The predator was not a cold-blooded creature, but a warm-blooded one with a body temperature probably around 97.3 degrees Fahrenheit, plus or minus 4.5 degrees.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026

Scientists often pointed to the predator as a possible explanation for the extraordinary speed of the American pronghorn.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 8, 2026

England, plagued by rabbits, sorely needs the fox as a predator.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

Some members of this group eventually became enormous predators, rivaling tyrannosaurs in size.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 14, 2026

A study released in February found it was affecting bird behaviour across the globe, disrupting everything from courtship songs to their ability to find food and avoid predators.

From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026

"Australian children have a right to play online without being exposed to predators, sexual extortionists, violent extremist content or other harmful material," eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said.

From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026

Mr. Bond guides readers through ancient depictions of animals, including the gorgeous array of prehistoric cave paintings, with their mixture of dangerous predators and powerful herbivores.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

Hence all predators, even highly developed mammals such as cats, would starve.

From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick

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