Origin of prey
1200–50; Middle English
preye < Old French < Latin
praeda booty, prey; akin to
prehendere to grasp, seize (see
prehension)
OTHER WORDS FROM prey
prey·er, noun un·prey·ing, adjectiveWords nearby prey
British Dictionary definitions for prey on
prey
/ (preɪ) /
noun
verb (intr; often foll by on or upon)
Derived forms of prey
preyer, nounWord Origin for prey
C13: from Old French
preie, from Latin
praeda booty; see
predatory
Idioms and Phrases with prey on
prey on
Plunder or pillage; also, make a profit at someone else's expense, victimize. For example, Vikings preyed on the coastal towns of England, or The rich have been preying on the poor for centuries. [Late 1500s]
Hunt, especially in order to eat, as in Their cat preys on all the rodents in the neighborhood. [c. 1600]
Exert a baneful or injurious effect, as in Guilt preyed on his mind. [c. 1700]