prey

prey · noun¹

1. Latin · derived frompraeda
2. Old French · derived frompreie
3. Middle English · inherited frompreye
4. English todayprey

From Middle English preye, prei, preyȝe, borrowed from Anglo-Norman and Old French preie, one of the variants of proie, from Latin praeda. Compare predator. Doublet of prede.

prey · verb²

1. Latin · derived frompraedor
2. Late Latin · derived frompraedō
3. Old French · derived frompraer
4. Middle English · inherited frompraien
5. English todayprey

From Middle English praien, prayen, preyen, partly from the noun and partly from Old French praer, preer, earlier preder, from Late Latin praedō, collateral form of Latin praedor, from praeda (“plunder, booty, loot”) + -ō (verbal suffix). Doublet of prede.

Words from the same roots