Prey
/preɪ/noun
An animal that is hunted and killed by another for food.
Did you know?In ancient rituals, the term 'prey' also referred to the souls of the hunted, believed to carry their essence into the afterlife.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*prey-
“to seize, take, or catch”
Latin
Latin
praeda
“booty, spoil, or game (as in hunted animals)”
Old French
Old French
preie
“spoil, prey, or game hunted”
Middle English
Middle English
prey
“game or quarry hunted for food”
Modern English
English
prey
“an animal hunted for food, or the act of being hunted.”