# predator

Pronunciation: US say "PRED-uh-tur" /ˈpɹɛd.ə.tɚ/; UK say "PRED-uh-tuh" /ˈpɹɛd.ə.tə/

## Noun

1. An animal or other organism that hunts and kills other living things, mainly for food.
   - Simple: An animal that hunts and kills other animals for food.
   - _The shark is an efficient predator, able to detect traces of blood from far away._
   - _Wolves and other predators help keep deer populations in check throughout the forest._
2. A person who seeks out and exploits others for sexual gratification, often targeting the vulnerable.
   - Simple: A person who looks for victims to abuse or harm sexually.
   - _Investigators warned that the predator had used dating apps to approach his victims._
   - _The school taught students how to recognize predators and report them safely._
3. A person who attacks and plunders others in order to gain wealth or advantage.
   - Simple: A person who attacks others to take money or things for themselves.
   - _He became a financial predator, buying struggling firms only to sell off their parts at a profit._
   - _History remembers some conquerors as little more than predators hungry for plunder._

## Origin

Borrowed from Latin praedātor, from praedor ("to loot, pillage"), which comes from praeda ("booty, spoils, prey").

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/predator (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).