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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 (gcide)

Prey \Prey\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Preyed}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Preying}.] [OF. preier, preer, L. praedari, fr. praeda. See
{Prey}, n.]
To take booty; to gather spoil; to ravage; to take food by
violence.
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More pity that the eagle should be mewed,
While kites and buzzards prey at liberty. --Shak.
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{To prey on} or {To prey 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.
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Prey \Prey\, n. [OF. preie, F. proie, L. praeda, probably for
praeheda. See {Prehensile}, and cf. {Depredate},
{Predatory}.]
Anything, as goods, etc., taken or got by violence; anything
taken by force from an enemy in war; spoil; booty; plunder.
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And they brought the captives, and the prey, and the
spoil, unto Moses, and Eleazar the priest. --Num. xxxi.
12.
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2. That which is or may be seized by animals or birds to be
devoured; hence, a person given up as a victim.
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The old lion perisheth for lack of prey. --Job iv.
ii.
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Already sees herself the monster's prey. --Dryden.
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3. The act of devouring other creatures; ravage.
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Hog in sloth, fox in stealth, . . . lion in prey.
--Shak.
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{Beast of prey}, a carnivorous animal; one that feeds on the
flesh of other animals.
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