prey, quarry
(noun) animal hunted or caught for food
prey, quarry, target, fair game
(noun) 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”
raven, prey, predate
(verb) prey on or hunt for; “These mammals predate certain eggs”
prey, feed
(verb) profit from in an exploitatory manner; “He feeds on her insecurity”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
prey (countable and uncountable, plural preys)
(archaic) Anything, as goods, etc, taken or got by violence; anything taken by force from an enemy in war
Synonyms: spoil, booty, plunder
That which is or may be seized by animals or birds to be devoured; hence, a person given up as a victim.
A living thing that is eaten by another living thing.
The act of devouring other creatures; ravage.
The victim of a disease.
prey (third-person singular simple present preys, present participle preying, simple past and past participle preyed)
(intransitive) To act as a predator.
• pyre, rype
Source: Wiktionary
Prey, n. Etym: [OF. preie, F. proie, L. praeda, probably for praeheda. See Prehensile, and cf. Depredate, Predatory.]
Definition: 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. Num. xxxi. 12.
2. 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. Job iv. ii. Already sees herself the monster's prey. Dryden.
3. The act of devouring other creatures; ravage. Hog in sloth, fox in stealth, . . . lion in prey. Shak. Beast of prey, a carnivorous animal; one that feeds on the flesh of other animals.
Prey, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Preyed; p. pr. & vb. n. Preying.] Etym: [OF. preier, preer, L. praedari, fr. praeda. See Prey, n.]
Definition: 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. Shak. To prey on or upon. (a) To take prey from; to despoil; to pillage; to rob. Shak. (b) To seize as prey; to take for food by violence; to seize and devour. Shak. (c) To wear away gradually; to cause to waste or pine away; as, the trouble preyed upon his mind. Addison.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
15 April 2025
(adjective) marked by or promising bad fortune; “their business venture was doomed from the start”; “an ill-fated business venture”; “an ill-starred romance”; “the unlucky prisoner was again put in irons”- W.H.Prescott
The Boston Tea Party helped popularize coffee in America. The hefty tea tax imposed on the colonies in 1773 resulted in America switching from tea to coffee. In the lead up to the Revolutionary War, it became patriotic to sip java instead of tea. The Civil War made the drink more pervasive. Coffee helped energize tired troops, and drinking it became an expression of freedom.
