prey en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- prā
- (US) audio
- /pɹeɪ/
Etymology
From Middle English preye, prei, preyȝe, borrowed from Anglo-Norman and Old French preie, one of the variants of proie, from Latin praeda. Compare predator. Doublet of prede.
Meanings
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(countable, uncountable) That which is or may be seized by animals to be devoured.
The deer became prey to the lion.
Already sees herself the monster's prey.
1700, [John] Dryden, “Theodore and Honoria, from Boccace”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
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(countable, uncountable) A person or thing given up as a victim.
Being so inflexible, the railway was easy prey to road competition, and the arrival of unregulated lorry transport from farm fields to town centres quickly captured all locally generated business.
2020 November 18, Howard Johnston, “The missing 'Lincs' and the sole survivor”, in Rail, page 58:[The helmsman] steered with no end of a swagger while you were by; but if he lost sight of you, he became instantly the prey of an abject funk […]
1899 March, Joseph Conrad, “The Heart of Darkness”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume CLXV, number MI, New York, N.Y.: The Leonard Scott Publishing Company, […], →OCLC, part II:
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(countable, uncountable) A living thing, usually an animal, that is eaten by another living thing.
Nonetheless, some insect prey take advantage of clutter by hiding in it. Earless ghost swift moths become “invisible” to echolocating bats by forming mating clusters close (less than half a meter) above vegetation and effectively blending into the clutter of echoes that the bat receives from the leaves and stems around them.
2013 May-June, William E. Conner, “An Acoustic Arms Race”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3, pages 206–7:The rabbit was eaten by the coyote, so the rabbit is the coyote's prey.
Stranded without any weapons, we made very easy prey.
The old lion perisheth for lack of prey.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Job 4:2:
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(archaic, countable, uncountable) Anything, such as goods, etc., taken or got by violence; something taken by force from an enemy in war.
And they brought the captiues, and the pray, and the spoile vnto Moses and Eleazar the Priest, and vnto the Congregation of the children of Israel, vnto the campe at the plaines of Moab, which are by Iordan neere Iericho.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Numbers 31:12:
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(archaic, countable, uncountable) The act of devouring other creatures; ravage.
Hog in sloth, fox in stealth, […] lion in prey.
c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iv]:
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(countable, uncountable) The victim of a disease.
He became the prey of dengue.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| preys | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
fall prey · beast of prey · prey drive · easy prey · bird of prey · prey eyes · preyful
Synonyms
Translations (132)
gd creach (booty, anything taken by force) · es presa (that which may be seized by animals) · sl plen (that which may be seized by animals) · uk добу́ток (booty, anything taken by force) · oc preda (that which may be seized by animals) · mk плен (that which may be seized by animals) · alt олјо (booty, anything taken by force) · mk плен (booty, anything taken by force) · cs kořist (booty, anything taken by force) · grc θήραμα (that which may be seized by animals) · cmn 獵物 /猎物 (that which may be seized by animals) · gd creach (that which may be seized by animals) · sq pre (that which may be seized by animals) · mi ori (booty, anything taken by force) · eo predo (booty, anything taken by force) · gl prea (booty, anything taken by force) · pl żer (that which may be seized by animals) · nn byttedyr (that which may be seized by animals) · uk здоби́ча (booty, anything taken by force) · mi ori (victim of a disease) · fr prise (booty, anything taken by force) · my သားကောင် (that which may be seized by animals) · nb bytte (that which may be seized by animals) · sh plȇn (that which may be seized by animals) · id mangsa (that which may be seized by animals) · sk korisť (booty, anything taken by force) · be здабы́ча (that which may be seized by animals) · et saak (booty, anything taken by force) · fr proie (that which may be seized by animals) · nl buit (booty, anything taken by force) · sv byte (booty, anything taken by force) · nl prooi (that which may be seized by animals) · uk здо́бич (that which may be seized by animals) · sh plȇn (booty, anything taken by force) · nb bytte (booty, anything taken by force) · ar فَرِيسَة (that which may be seized by animals) · sh plijȇn (booty, anything taken by force) · af prooi (that which may be seized by animals) · ky олжо (booty, anything taken by force) · sl plen (booty, anything taken by force) · pt presa (booty, anything taken by force) · uk здоби́ча (that which may be seized by animals) · cs oběť (victim of a disease) · af buit (booty, anything taken by force) · ro pradă (booty, anything taken by force) · it preda (booty, anything taken by force) · ro pradă (that which may be seized by animals) · fur prede (that which may be seized by animals) · sh плије̑н (that which may be seized by animals) · mi pārurenga (booty, anything taken by force) · ru добы́ча (booty, anything taken by force) · sh пле̑н (that which may be seized by animals) · be спажы́ва (that which may be seized by animals) · izh saakki (that which may be seized by animals) · is bráð (that which may be seized by animals) · zza seyd (diq) (booty, anything taken by force) · ga creach (that which may be seized by animals) · it preda (that which may be seized by animals) · pl zdobycz (booty, anything taken by force) · sw windo (booty, anything taken by force) · he טֶרֶף (that which may be seized by animals) · sk korisť (that which may be seized by animals) · ar غَنِيمَة (booty, anything taken by force) · de Beute (ravage) · sv byte (that which may be seized by animals) · pl zdobycz (that which may be seized by animals) · el λεία (ravage) · pt presa (that which may be seized by animals) · nl prooi (ravage) · uk до́бич (that which may be seized by animals) · ru трофе́и (booty, anything taken by force) · de Beute (that which may be seized by animals) · cs kořist (that which may be seized by animals) · bg плячкосване (that which may be seized by animals) · pt predação (ravage) · ro sacrificiu (ravage) · ru еда́ (ravage) · gl presa (that which may be seized by animals) · cs kořist (ravage) · grc ἄγρα (that which may be seized by animals) · af prooi (ravage) · pdt Wiltfank (that which may be seized by animals) · sh plȇn (ravage) · pt preia (booty, anything taken by force) · vi mồi (that which may be seized by animals) · izh saakki (booty, anything taken by force) · es botín (booty, anything taken by force) · bg пля́чка (that which may be seized by animals) · ru еда́ (that which may be seized by animals) · sh плије̑н (booty, anything taken by force) · it squartamento (ravage) · ko 포획물 (that which may be seized by animals) · rup pradã (booty, anything taken by force) · pl pastwa (that which may be seized by animals) · et saak (that which may be seized by animals) · sh пле̑н (booty, anything taken by force) · ko 먹이 (that which may be seized by animals) · gl presa (booty, anything taken by force) · fi saalis (booty, anything taken by force) · nap preda (booty, anything taken by force) · ru приз (booty, anything taken by force) · fi saalis (that which may be seized by animals) · el λεία (booty, anything taken by force) · da bytte (that which may be seized by animals) · fa-ira طُعْمِه (that which may be seized by animals) · nb byttedyr (that which may be seized by animals) · uk спожи́ва (that which may be seized by animals) · uk пожи́ва (that which may be seized by animals) · sw windo (that which may be seized by animals) · ru пожи́ва (booty, anything taken by force) · ja 獲物 (that which may be seized by animals) · ru же́ртва (ravage) · gd creach (ravage) · sh плије̑н (ravage) · el βορά (that which may be seized by animals) · ko 수렵물 (that which may be seized by animals) · ru пожи́ва (that which may be seized by animals) · sh пле̑н (ravage) · sh plijȇn (ravage) · ca presa (that which may be seized by animals) · ms mangsa (that which may be seized by animals) · be здабы́ча (booty, anything taken by force) · ru добы́ча (that which may be seized by animals) · eo predo (that which may be seized by animals) · bg пля́чка (booty, anything taken by force) · be спажы́ва (booty, anything taken by force) · sh plijȇn (that which may be seized by animals) · fr butin (booty, anything taken by force) · bg же́ртва (victim of a disease) · da bytte (booty, anything taken by force) · hy որս (that which may be seized by animals) · de Beute (booty, anything taken by force)