prey

American  

[prey] / preɪ /

noun

1. an animal hunted or seized for food, especially by a carnivorous animal.

2. a person or thing that is the victim of an enemy, a swindler, a disease, etc.

   a con man looking for his next prey.

   Synonyms:

   mark, gull, dupe

3. the action or habit of preying.

   a beast of prey.

4. Archaic. booty or plunder.

---

verb (used without object)

1. to seize and devour prey, as an animal does (usually followed by on orupon ).

   Foxes prey on rabbits.

2. to make raids or attacks for booty or plunder.

   The Vikings preyed on coastal settlements.

3. to exert a harmful or destructive influence.

   His worries preyed upon his mind.

4. to victimize another or others (usually followed by on orupon ).

   loan sharks that prey upon poor people.

idioms

1. fall prey (to), to be victimized, harmed, or killed: fall prey to internet scams.

   chickens that fell prey to a hawk;

   fall prey to internet scams.

prey British  

/ preɪ /

noun

1. an animal hunted or captured by another for food

2. a person or thing that becomes the victim of a hostile person, influence, etc

3. an animal that preys on others for food

4. a bird that preys on others for food

5. an archaic word for booty 1

---

verb

1. to hunt or seize food by killing other animals

2. to make a victim (of others), as by profiting at their expense

3. to exert a depressing or obsessive effect (on the mind, spirits, etc); weigh heavily (upon)

Other Word Forms

• preyer noun
• unpreying adjective

Etymology

Origin of prey

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English prei(e), preye, “booty, plunder, prey,” from Old French proie, praie, preie, from Latin praeda; akin to prehendere to grasp, seize; prehension

Example Sentences

Think of sharks and the most common images that spring to mind will likely be of dangerous predators hunting prey, accompanied by ominous music.

From BBC

Its survival suggests it may have received care or lived in conditions where hunting large prey was unnecessary.

From Science Daily

This suggests that water clarity affects how deep these fish swim, which can alter the prey they hunt and their exposure to predators like large sharks.

From Science Daily

Iraq has long suffered from sand and dust storms, but in recent years they have become more frequent and intense as the country falls prey to the effects of climate change.

From Barron's

It evokes a thatched hut, a giant upturned basket and, especially, a vacant, human-size cage—a trap in want of prey.

From The Wall Street Journal