Vocabulary in context
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Predator
A carnivorous animal that hunts other animals for food; also a person who ruthlessly exploits or preys on others.
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Imagine This
Imagine a sleek leopard crouching in tall grass, eyes fixed on a grazing gazelle. With a sudden lunge, the predator closes the distance and makes the kill.
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Sounds Like
Pronounced PREH-duh-tor; IPA: /ˈprɛ.dəˌtɔr/ (American).
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Looks Like
Often depicted as the hunter in a predator-prey dynamic; evokes imagery of a hunter and the hunted.
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Remember This
Predators help shape ecosystems by controlling prey populations and influencing the behavior of other species; many ecosystems feature apex predators at the top of the food chain.
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Other Forms
predatoryadjective
predationnoun
predatorilyadverb
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Connect With
prey, hunt, carnivore, predator-prey dynamics, apex predator, stalking, ambush
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Note
Use predator for living hunters or exploiters. In metaphorical use, it can describe someone who preys on others; avoid using 'predator' to describe passive threats or nonliving phenomena.
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Study Deeper
Examples
- Lions are formidable predators that stalk and ambush their prey.
- The con artist was a predator who preyed on vulnerable seniors with bogus schemes.
Synonyms
hunterpursuerstalkercarnivoreprowler
Antonyms
preyvictim
Etymology
From Latin predator, from praeda 'booty, spoils' with the sense of plunderer; related to praedari 'to plunder'.
Mnemonic
Predator Roams Every Day, Attacking Tasty Opponents Relentlessly.
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Mysterious
adjectiveDifficult to understand or explain; arousing curiosity or suspicion because of secrecy or ambiguity.
Pervade
verbTo spread through or into every part of something; to be present throughout.
Misconception
nounA belief or idea that is incorrect because it is based on faulty reasoning, incomplete evidence, or misinformation.
Similar Words
Related words and words with the same part of speech.
Abasement
nounThe act or instance of humiliating or degrading someone; the state of being lowered in dignity or status.
Absurdity
nounThe quality or state of being wildly unreasonable, illogical, or ridiculous; something that is completely contrary to reason or common sense.
Accent
nounA distinctive way of pronouncing words; the act of emphasizing a syllable or word (as a verb, to accent means to emphasize).
Accolade
nounAn honor; a public expression of praise or an award.
Acrimony
nounBitterness of speech or manner; ill feeling
Acronym
nounA word formed from the initial letters of a phrase, pronounced as a single word and used as a shorthand for the full name (for example, NASA or radar).
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