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prowl

[ proul ]
/ praʊl /
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See synonyms for: prowl / prowling / prowls on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object)
to rove or go about stealthily, as in search of prey, something to steal, etc.
verb (used with object)
to rove over or through in search of what may be found: The cat prowled the alleys in search of food.
noun
act of prowling.
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Idioms about prowl

    on the prowl, in the act of prowling; searching stealthily: The cat is on the prowl for mice.

Origin of prowl

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English prollen; origin uncertain

synonym study for prowl

1. See lurk.

OTHER WORDS FROM prowl

prowl·ing·ly, adverbun·prowl·ing, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use prowl in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for prowl

prowl
/ (praʊl) /

verb
(when intr, often foll by around or about) to move stealthily around (a place) as if in search of prey or plunder
noun
the act of prowling
on the prowl
  1. moving around stealthily
  2. zealously pursuing members of the opposite sex

Derived forms of prowl

prowler, noun

Word Origin for prowl

C14 prollen, of unknown origin
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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