Etymology
Borrowed from Latin praedÄtor, from praedor (loot, pillage), from praeda (booty, spoils, prey).
Noun
predator (plural predators)
- Any animal or other organism that hunts and kills other non-plant organisms (their prey), primarily for food.
- Someone who attacks and plunders for gain.
- A sexual predator, or someone who is sexually abusive.
Derived terms
- ambush predator
- anti-predator
- apex predator
- predatorial
- predatorious
- sexual predator
Related terms
- predation
- predatory
- prey
Credits
New World Encyclopedia writers and editors copied and adjusted this Wiktionary entry in accordance with NWE standards. This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. Credit for this article is due to both New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. To cite this article click here for a list acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions at Wiktionary is accessible to researchers here: