| 释义 |
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2024prey /preɪ/USA pronunciation n., v., preyed, prey•ing.
n. [uncountable] - Ecologyan animal hunted for food, esp. by a meat-eating animal:Mice are the prey of owls.
- a person or thing that is the victim of an enemy, disease, etc.
- the action or habit of preying:a beast of prey.
v. prey on or upon, [~ + on/upon + object] - to seize and eat animals for food:Foxes prey on rabbits.
- to make raids or attacks in order to steal or destroy:The Vikings preyed on coastal England.
- to bring about a harmful influence;
to trouble:The problem preyed upon his mind. - to take dishonest advantage of another:loan sharks who prey upon the poor.
Idioms- fall prey to, [~ + object] to be a victim of:The economy fell prey to recession and high unemployment.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2024prey (prā),USA pronunciation n. - Ecologyan animal hunted or seized for food, esp. by a carnivorous animal.
- a person or thing that is the victim of an enemy, a swindler, a disease, etc.;
gull. - the action or habit of preying:a beast of prey.
- [Archaic.]booty or plunder.
v.i. - to seize and devour prey, as an animal does (usually fol. by on or upon):Foxes prey on rabbits.
- to make raids or attacks for booty or plunder:The Vikings preyed on coastal settlements.
- to exert a harmful or destructive influence:His worries preyed upon his mind.
- to victimize another or others (usually fol. by on or upon):loan sharks that prey upon the poor.
- Latin praeda booty, prey; akin to prehendere to grasp, seize (see prehension)
- Old French
- Middle English preye 1200–50
- 2.See corresponding entry in Unabridged dupe, target.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers:: prey /preɪ/ n - an animal hunted or captured by another for food
- a person or thing that becomes the victim of a hostile person, influence, etc
- beast of prey ⇒ an animal that preys on others for food
- bird of prey ⇒ a bird that preys on others for food
- an archaic word for booty1
vb (intr; often followed by on or upon)- to hunt or seize food by killing other animals
- to make a victim (of others), as by profiting at their expense
- to exert a depressing or obsessive effect (on the mind, spirits, etc); weigh heavily (upon)
Etymology: 13th Century: from Old French preie, from Latin praeda booty; see predatoryˈpreyer n |