predator
PRED-uh-ter
/ˈpred.ə.tər/
An animal that naturally preys on other animals for food.
Focuses on the active act of hunting, capturing, and killing prey.
The story behind the word. Derived from Latin 'praedator', meaning plunderer or pillager. The root verb 'praedari' meant 'to seize plunder'. Over time, naturalists adopted the word to describe animals that plunder the animal kingdom by catching live prey.
Word relationships
- hunter: Hunter can refer to humans or animals, while predator specifically implies an ecological role in natural food chains.
- prey: Prey refers to the animal being hunted and eaten by a predator.
Commonly confused with
- scavenger: A predator actively kills its food, whereas a scavenger consumes animals that are already dead.
Word family
- predatory (adjective): Relating to or acting as a predator.
- predation (noun): The preying of one animal on others.
Collocations
- apex predator
- natural predator
- predator-prey dynamic
- stealthy predator
Example sentences
- "Reintroducing an apex predator like the wolf transformed the entire ecosystem of Yellowstone National Park." Wildlife conservation
- "Keen eyesight and stealth allowed the feline predator to stalking its target without detection." Behavioral ecology
Memory hook
A PREDator PREDates (comes before) the death of its prey by catching it. Praeda = plunder; predators plunder their prey.
When not to use
Do not confuse with scavengers, which eat already dead organisms without hunting them.
Fun facts
- The dragonfly is one of the world's most successful predators, boasting a hunting success rate near 95 percent.
Explore more words
antagonist, habitat, apprehend, preservation, overfish, conservation
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.