## Meanings
1. An animal that is hunted and eaten by another animal.
2. A person who is easily harmed, cheated, or attacked by someone or something.
3. To hunt and eat another animal, or to harm and take advantage of someone weaker.

## Examples
- Rabbits are easy prey for foxes and hawks.
- Lonely older people can become easy prey for online scammers.
- Owls prey on small mammals at night.

## Derived Forms
- preyful

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: praien
- Root: praer
- Root: praedō
- Root: praedor

## Etymology
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.

## AI Etymology
Prey comes 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 historical chain includes praien (Middle English), praer (Old French), praedō (Late Latin), and praedor (Latin). The surrounding word family includes derived forms such as preyful. In present use it covers an animal that is hunted and eaten by another animal, a person who is easily harmed, cheated, or attacked by someone or something, and to hunt and eat another animal, or to harm and take advantage of someone weaker.

## Topics
- Food & Drink
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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prey

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