prowl
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
idioms
verb
noun
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the act of prowling
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moving around stealthily
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zealously pursuing members of the opposite sex
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Synonym Usage
See lurk.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have prowledperfect
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has prowledperfect 3rd person singular
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have been prowlingperfect progressive
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is prowlingprogressive 3rd person singular
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am prowlingprogressive 1st person singular
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has been prowlingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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are prowlingprogressive
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prowlingparticiple
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prowlssingular 3rd person
Past
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had prowledperfect
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were prowlingprogressive plural
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had been prowlingperfect progressive
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was prowlingprogressive singular
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prowledsimple
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prowledparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of prowl
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English prollen; origin uncertain
Explanation
If you move stealthily — like you're looking for something to prey on — then you prowl. Your cat might prowl around the room and pounce on your feet, which is cute if you're awake, but annoying when you're asleep. The noun prowl means the act of moving as if to capture prey. You could take a prowl through the music shop and try to find your favorite vintage album. Prowl is also used in the phrase "on the prowl," which implies that the person doing the prowling is looking for a romantic partner. Your idea of a fun Saturday night might be staying home while your friends go on the prowl at the dance club.
Vocabulary lists containing prowl
Unit 1: Telling Details
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Where the Red Fern Grows
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The chair is not currently available for purchase, but Prowl is pitching it for licensing.
From New York Times • Apr. 11, 2023
“SPD, Sammamish Police on the Prowl for Car Prowlers,” the release is headlined, without noting that one of these agencies actually let Washington’s Most Wanted get away.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 7, 2014
If you have a lead on something better, join the Prowl and help a girl out.
From Slate • Nov. 26, 2013
I've always liked the ersatz novelty number "Fowl Owl on the Prowl," from the soundtrack to In the Heat of the Night.
From Slate • Apr. 19, 2011
The Naturalist on the Prowl was brought out in 1894, and a third edition was published in 1905.
From Concerning Animals and Other Matters by Aitken, Edward Hamilton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
