Other forms: preyed, preys, preying
Prey is the animal that gets hunted and eaten. The mouse under the owl's shadow, the zebra at the edge of the herd, the fly stuck in the web.
It stays singular however much of it there is: an owl hunts prey, never preys. The verb is prey ON, and foxes prey on rabbits. The word stretches to people as well, since con men prey on the lonely, anyone easy to trick is easy prey, and you fall prey to a scam. A worry that will not leave you alone preys on your mind. Hunting birds like eagles, hawks and owls are birds of prey. Keep it clear of pray, which sounds identical and means to speak to a god.
1nounpreyAn animal that is hunted and eaten by another animal.
“The owl drops on its prey without a sound.”
synonyms: quarry
2nounvictimA person or group that somebody stronger can easily harm or cheat.
“Tourists with open bags are easy prey for pickpockets.”
3verbeatTo hunt and eat another animal; always 'prey on'.
“Otters prey on fish and freshwater crabs.”
4verbtakeTo take advantage of someone weaker.
“The company preys on people who cannot read the small print.”
5verbworryTo worry someone again and again; 'prey on someone's mind'.
“The argument preyed on her mind all week.”
prey is a hunted animal.
Prey came through Old French preie from Latin praeda, the same Latin word sitting inside predator. English took both ends of the chase from one root: the animal hunted and the animal hunting. An older borrowing, prede, is its doublet, and the trail runs back to Proto-Indo-European *ghed-.
Proto-Indo-European
*gʰed-
Latin
praeda
Old French
preie
Middle English
preye
English, today
prey
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. a doublet of prede.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA