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prey

[ prey ]
/ preɪ /
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See synonyms for: prey / preyed / preying on Thesaurus.com

noun
verb (used without object)
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Idioms about prey

    fall prey (to), to be victimized, harmed, or killed: chickens that fell prey to a hawk;fall prey to internet scams.

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; see prehension

OTHER WORDS FROM prey

preyer, nounun·prey·ing, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH prey

pray, prayer, prey
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use prey in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for prey

prey
/ (preɪ) /

noun
verb (intr; often foll by on or upon)

Derived forms of prey

preyer, noun

Word Origin for prey

C13: from Old French preie, from Latin praeda booty; see predatory
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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