predator
n. countablen. an animal that hunts, kills, and eats other animals to survive. It can also describe a person who tries to take advantage of people who are weaker than them.
n. an organism that survives primarily by preying on other organisms. In a social or legal context, it refers to an individual who ruthlessly exploits others for personal gain or gratification.
The lion is a powerful predator in the African savanna.
Wildlife biologists tracked the predator for weeks to understand its hunting patterns and territory size.
The reintroduction of a top-tier predator into the ecosystem had the unexpected effect of diversifying the local flora by controlling the overpopulated deer herds.
Borrowed from Latin praedātor, from praedor (“loot, pillage”), from praeda (“booty, spoils, prey”).
Commonly used in the phrase 'apex predator' to describe an animal at the top of the food chain.