prey
(redirected from preyers)Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Encyclopedia.
prey
(prā)n.
1.
a. An animal hunted or caught by another for food: The leopard carried its prey into a tree.
b. The collection of animals typically hunted and eaten by a predator: the acoustic location of prey by barn owls.
2.
a. An object or victim of attack: ships that became the prey of pirates.
b. One that is subjected to or afflicted with something: was prey to depression.
c. One that is deceived or taken advantage of by another: easy prey for swindlers.
3. Archaic
a. The act or practice of preying.
b. Plunder; booty.
intr.v. preyed, prey·ing, preys
1. To hunt, catch, or eat as prey: Owls prey on mice.
2. To victimize or make a profit at someone else's expense: swindlers who prey upon the weak.
3. To plunder or pillage: Vikings preying on coastal settlements.
4. To exert a baneful or injurious effect: Remorse preyed on his mind.
[Middle English preie, from Old French, from Latin praeda, booty, prey; see ghend- in Indo-European roots.]
prey′er n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
prey
(preɪ)n
1. (Zoology) an animal hunted or captured by another for food
2. a person or thing that becomes the victim of a hostile person, influence, etc
3. (Animals) beast of prey an animal that preys on others for food
4. (Animals) bird of prey a bird that preys on others for food
5. an archaic word for booty1
vb (intr; often foll by on or upon)
6. (Zoology) to hunt or seize food by killing other animals
7. to make a victim (of others), as by profiting at their expense
8. to exert a depressing or obsessive effect (on the mind, spirits, etc); weigh heavily (upon)
[C13: from Old French preie, from Latin praeda booty; see predatory]
ˈpreyer n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
prey
(preɪ)n.
1. an animal hunted or seized for food, esp. by a carnivorous animal.
2. a person or thing that is the victim of an enemy, disease, swindler, injurious agency, etc.
3. the action or habit of preying: a beast of prey.
4. Archaic. booty or plunder.
v.i. 5. to seize and devour prey: Foxes prey on rabbits.
6. to make raids or attacks for booty or plunder: The Vikings preyed on coastal settlements.
7. to exert a harmful or destructive and often obsessive influence: The problem preyed upon his mind.
8. to victimize another or others: loan sharks who prey upon the poor.
(usu. fol. by on or upon)[1200–50; Middle English preye < Old French < Latin praeda booty, prey]
prey′er, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
prey
Past participle: preyed
Gerund: preying
| Imperative |
|---|
| prey |
| prey |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. |  prey - a person who is the aim of an attack (especially a victim of ridicule or exploitation) by some hostile person or influence; "he fell prey to muggers"; "everyone was fair game"; "the target of a manhunt"victim - an unfortunate person who suffers from some adverse circumstance |
| 2. | prey - animal hunted or caught for food | |
| Verb | 1. | prey - profit from in an exploitatory manner; "He feeds on her insecurity" |
| 2. | prey - prey on or hunt for; "These mammals predate certain eggs" forage - wander and feed; "The animals forage in the woods" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
prey
noun
prey on something or someone
2. victimize, bully, intimidate, exploit, take advantage of, bleed (informal), blackmail, terrorize unscrupulous men who preyed on young runaways
3. worry, trouble, burden, distress, haunt, hang over, oppress, weigh down, weigh heavily This was the question that preyed on his mind.
Birds of prey
accipiter, bald eagle, barn owl, bateleur eagle, boobook, brown owl, buzzard, caracara, condor, Cooper's hawk, duck hawk, eagle, eagle-hawk or wedge-tailed eagle, falcon, falconet, golden eagle, goshawk, gyrfalcon or gerfalcon, harrier, hawk, hawk owl, hobby, honey buzzard, hoot owl, horned owl, kestrel, kite, lammergeier, lammergeyer, bearded vulture, or (archaic) ossifrage, lanner, little owl, long-eared owl, merlin, Montagu's harrier, mopoke or (N.Z.) ruru, osprey, fish eagle, or (archaic) ossifrage, owl, peregrine falcon, red kite or (archaic) gled(e), rough-legged buzzard, saker, screech owl, sea eagle, erne, or ern, secretary bird, snowy owl, sparrowhawk, tawny owl, turkey buzzard or vulture, vultureCollins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
prey
nounThe American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
فَرِيسَةفَريسَه
kořist
bytte
saalissaaliseläin
plijen
bráî
餌食
먹이
laupījumsmedījumsupuris
plenprežati
byte
เหยื่อ
mồi
prey
[preɪ]A. N (lit, fig) → presa f, víctima f
beast of prey → animal m de rapiña
bird of prey → ave f de rapiña
to be (a) prey to → ser víctima de
she is prey to irrational fears (fig) → es presa de temores irracionales
he fell (a) prey to the disease → fue víctima de la enfermedad
beast of prey → animal m de rapiña
bird of prey → ave f de rapiña
to be (a) prey to → ser víctima de
she is prey to irrational fears (fig) → es presa de temores irracionales
he fell (a) prey to the disease → fue víctima de la enfermedad
B. VI to prey on [+ animals] (= attack) → cazar; (= feed on) → alimentarse de; [+ person] → vivir a costa de
rabbits are preyed on by foxes → los conejos son presa de los zorros
to prey on sb's mind → traer preocupado or obsesionar a algn
doubts preyed on him → le obsesionaban las dudas
the tragedy so preyed on his mind that → la tragedia le obsesionó de tal modo que ...
rabbits are preyed on by foxes → los conejos son presa de los zorros
to prey on sb's mind → traer preocupado or obsesionar a algn
doubts preyed on him → le obsesionaban las dudas
the tragedy so preyed on his mind that → la tragedia le obsesionó de tal modo que ...
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
prey
[ˈpreɪ] n
(= person) → proie f
to fall prey to sth → devenir la proie de qch
to be prey to sth [+ illness, feeling] → être en proie à qch
He was prey to a growing despair → Il était en proie à un désespoir grandissant.
to fall prey to sth → devenir la proie de qch
to be prey to sth [+ illness, feeling] → être en proie à qch
He was prey to a growing despair → Il était en proie à un désespoir grandissant.
prey on
vt fus [+ animal] → s'attaquer à
the effect was to starve many animals and those that preyed on them → cela a eu pour effet d'affamer de nombreux animaux ainsi que leurs prédateurs
the effect was to starve many animals and those that preyed on them → cela a eu pour effet d'affamer de nombreux animaux ainsi que leurs prédateurs
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
prey
n (lit, fig) → Beute f; (= animal also) → Beutetier nt; beast of prey → Raubtier nt; bird of prey → Raubvogel m; to be/fall prey to somebody/something (lit) → eine Beute von jdm/etw werden; (fig) → ein Opfer von jdm/etw werden; she was (a) prey to anxiety → sie war leicht in Angst zu versetzen; she was (a) prey to illness → sie wurde leicht krank
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
prey
(prei) – plural prey – noun a bird or animal, birds or animals, that is/are hunted by other birds or animals for food. The lion tore at its prey.
beast/bird of prey an animal, eg the lion, or a bird, eg the eagle, that kills and eats others.
prey on/upon to attack as prey. Hawks prey upon smaller birds.
prey is a noun or a verb: a bird of prey (not pray); to prey on (not pray on) smaller creatures.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
prey
→ فَرِيسَة kořist bytte Beute λεία presa saaliseläin proie plijen preda 餌食 먹이 prooi bytte zdobycz presa добыча byte เหยื่อ av mồi 猎物Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009