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2 entries under this word

Prey

Prey, n.

noun

(prā), n. [Norm. Fr. preye, preie, O. Fr. preie, proie, N. Fr. only proie; Pr., It., & O. Sp. preda, Lat. præda.] 1. Any thing, as goods, &c., taken by force from an enemy in war; spoil; booty; plunder. And they brought the captives, and the prey, and the spoil, to Moses, and Eleazar the priest. Num. xxxi. 12. 2. That which is seized, or may be seized, by violence to be devoured; raven. She sees herself the monster's *prey. Dryden. 3. Ravage; depredation. Hog in sloth, fox in stealth, lion in *prey. Shak. Animal or beast of prey, a carnivorous animal; one that feeds on the flesh of other animals.

Prey, v. i.

verbintransitive

(prā), v. i. [imp. & p. p. PREYED; p. pr. & vb. n. PRAYING.] [O. Fr. preier, preer, praer, proier, It. predare, Lat. prædari, from præda. See supra.] To take booty; to collect spoil; to rapine; to take food by violence.

More pity that the eagle should be mewed, While kites and buzzards prey at liberty. Shak.

To prey on or 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.

The royal disposition of that beast To prey on nothing that doth seem as dead. Shak.

(c.) Hence, to corrode; to waste gradually; to cause to pine away.

Language is too faint to show His rage of love; it preys upon his life; He pines, he sickens, he despairs, he dies. Addison.