pred-

(Latin: booty, plunder, pillage, ravage)

depredate (verb), depredates; depredated; depredating
1. To ransack, to steal, or to ravage: The farmer in Manfred's area is upset about the wild animals that have been depredating his corn field.
2. To engage in the dishonest acquisition of property: A thief broke into Sara's house while she was away and depredated her jewelry and cash.
To lay waste, to ransack, to loot or to steal goods.
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depredation (s) (noun), depredations (pl)
1. A predatory attack; a raid.
2. Damage or loss; a ravaging.
depredator (s) (noun), depredators (pl)
A plundering; as, a depredatory incursion.
depredatory (adjective), more depredatory, most depredatory
1. A reference to plundering or laying waste to something.
2. Descriptive of preying upon; pillaging; ravaging.
obligate predator
A predator that is narrowly restricted to a specific kind of prey.
predaceous, predacious (adjective); more predaceous, more predacious; most predaceous, most predacious
1. A description of an animal that hunts, kills, and eats other warm-blooded creatures: Some examples of predaceous species are wolves, tigers, lions, and cats.
2. Relating to someone who attacks and steals ideas or material possessions from other people: Robbers and swindlers are just two types of predaceous persons who victimize others.
3. Etymology: from Latin praedari, "to plunder, to rob."
Living by preying on other animals.
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Existing by attacking other animals for food.
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predaciousness (s) (noun) (no plural)
1. Living by seizing or taking prey.
2. Given to victimizing, plundering, or destroying for one's own gain.
predation (s) (noun), predations (pl)
1. The killing and eating of an animal of one species by an individual of the same or different species.
2. The interaction between populations in which one organism (the predator) consumes another (the prey).

Typically, the predator catches, kills and eats its prey but predation is also used to describe feeding by insectivorous plants and even grazing by herbivores.

predation pressure
The effect that a predator's consumption has on a prey population.
predator (s) (noun), predators (pl)
1. An animal that kills other creatures for food: In some geographical areas, the rabbit population is determined by how often predators attack and eat them.
2. Someone who looks for other people to use, to control, or to harm in some way: Some corporate predators look for business rivals that they can acquire and use to their advantage.
3. An organism that kills and consumes other organisms: The doctor reported that the patient has a virus that is a pernicious predator in his system and he could have become even more ill if he had not been hospitalized immediately.
A creature that destroys and devours various species of animals in the sea.
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predatorily (adverb), more predatorily, most predatorily
In a plundering, pillaging, or marauding manner.
predatory (adjective), more predatory, most predatory
1. Greedily eager to steal from or to destroy other people for gain: There are numerous predatory businessmen, or businesswomen, who are out to get rid of competition even if it means that those other companies will go out of business.
2. Relating to or characteristic of animals that survive by preying on other animals: A hungry fox was one of the predatory animals that got into the hen house and killed some of the hens.
3. Extremely aggressive, determined, or persistent: Bonita was upset by the predatory behavior of a fellow worker who was determined to take over her job so he could make a higher salary.

The telephone salesperson had a predatory attitude; especially, when he was calling older clients.

Exploiting other people in order to gain money from them.
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Planning and attacking other animals for food.
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Hunting animals for food.
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Living on other animals by preying on them.
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predatory behavior (s) (noun), predatory behaviors (pl)
The hunting of birds, mice and small reptiles by cats and the hunting and herding behavior of dogs, often done in a pack.

Wild predators kill mostly for prey, only one victim at a time; while, urban dogs kill many sheep in a flock, much more than they can eat.

prey (s) (noun), preys (pl)
1. An animal or animals caught, killed, and eaten by another animal as food; for example, a shrew's prey consists largely of earthworms and wood lice.
2. Someone who is attacked by or who receives cruel or unfair treatment from another person.
3. The natural practice or habit of predatory animals of hunting, killing, and eating other animals.
4. Etymology: from Latin praedari, "to plunder, to rob"; from praeda, "booty".
prey (verb), preys; preyed; preying
1. To seize and to devour prey, as an animal does: Foxes prey on rabbits.
2. To make raids or attacks for booty or plunder.
3. To exert a harmful or destructive influence: Hank's worries preyed upon his mind.
4. To victimize another person or others: There are loan sharks that prey upon those who are in great need of money.