prey
[ prey ]
/ preɪ /
Save This Word!
noun
verb (used without object)
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
Question 1 of 7
In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
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, adjectiveDictionary.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, nounWord 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