prey
n. uncountablen. an animal that is hunted and killed by another animal for food. It can also describe a person who is tricked or hurt by someone more powerful.
n. an animal hunted and killed by another for food; by extension, a person or thing vulnerable to being deceived or harmed by a more powerful entity.
The eagle circles high above looking for its prey.
Small mammals like mice are common prey for owls and other birds of prey during the night.
In the high-stakes world of corporate finance, smaller firms often fall prey to aggressive takeovers by larger conglomerates looking to eliminate competition.
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. Doublet of prede.
From Middle English praien, prayen, preyen, partly from the noun and partly from Old French praer, preer, earlier preder, from Late Latin praedō, collateral form of Latin praedor, from praeda (“plunder, booty, loot”) + -ō (verbal suffix). Doublet of prede.
The lions hunted their preys.The lions hunted their prey.Prey is usually uncountable when referring to the animals being hunted, even if there are many of them.