PREY • DICTIONARY ONE.COM • Definition of Prey

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/preɪ/ Listen

noun

Prey n.

Anything, as goods, etc., taken or got by violence; anything taken by force from an enemy in war; spoil; booty; plunder. "And they brought the captives, and the prey, and the spoil, unto Moses, and Eleazar the priest."

That which is or may be seized by animals or birds to be devoured; hence, a person given up as a victim. "The old lion perisheth for lack of prey." "Already sees herself the monster's prey."

The act of devouring other creatures; ravage. "Hog in sloth, fox in stealth,... lion in prey."

Beast of prey, a carnivorous animal; one that feeds on the flesh of other animals.

verb

Prey v. i. (past & past part. preyed; pres. part. preying) To take booty; to gather spoil; to ravage; to take food by violence. "More pity that the eagle should be mewed, While kites and buzzards prey at liberty."

To prey on or To prey upon.

(a)

To take prey from; to despoil; to pillage; to rob.

(b)

To seize as prey; to take for food by violence; to seize and devour.

(c)

To wear away gradually; to cause to waste or pine away; as, the trouble preyed upon his mind.

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Etymology of 'Prey'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Prey" Quotes from Famous Books

... the Alcalde! How he escaped the trench, who can tell? He had no time to write memoirs; his horse was too illiterate. But he had escaped; temper not at all improved by that adventure, and now raised to a hell of malignity by seeing that he had lost his prey. In the morning light he now saw how to use his sword. He attacked Kate with fury. Both were exhausted; and Kate, besides that she had no personal quarrel with the Alcalde, having now accomplished her sole object in saving the lady, would have been glad of a truce. ...

— Narrative And Miscellaneous Papers • Thomas De Quincey

... He was leaning his arms on the back of the seat before him; his head was lowered so that his chin rested lightly on one hand, while the other hand played nervously with the seat on which he leaned. His whole attitude was that of a wild beast crouched, ready to spring upon his prey. He had an oval face, with deep olive skin, wavy black hair, cut close except where it curled low over his forehead, and through the half-closed eyes, fixed upon the prisoner's face, Darrell caught a glint like that ...

— At the Time Appointed • A. Maynard Barbour

... down with a rush, just as a hungry hawk might swoop upon a pigeon it had marked for its intended prey. ...

— Air Service Boys Over The Enemy's Lines - The German Spy's Secret • Charles Amory Beach

... out. Jean-Christophe had hurled himself on him, and rolled with him into the middle of the room, and beat his head against the tiles. On the frightful cries of the victim, Louisa, Melchior, everybody, came running. They rescued Ernest in a parlous state. Jean-Christophe would not loose his prey; they had to beat and beat him. They called him a savage beast, and he looked it. His eyes were bursting from his head, he was grinding his teeth, and his only thought was to hurl himself again on Ernest. When they asked him what had happened, his fury ...

— Jean-Christophe, Vol. I • Romain Rolland

... completed, the Early Settlers, leaving the women in the schoolhouse, a prey to the Indians, used to retire into it, and await the attack of the Pequots. There was only a handful of the garrison, while the Indians were many, and also barbarous. It was agreed that they should ...

— Baddeck and That Sort of Thing • Charles Dudley Warner

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