prey

noun

/preɪ/

[uncountable, singular]Idioms

an animal, a bird, etc. that is hunted, killed and eaten by another猎物
- The lion will often stalk its prey for hours.狮子经常悄然跟踪猎物达几个小时。
- birds of prey (= birds that kill for food)猛禽
Wordfinder
- chase
- falconry
- game
- hunt
- open season
- pack
- poach
- prey
- safari
- trail
Collocations The living world
The living world生物界Animals动物
- animals mate/breed/reproduce/feed (on something)动物交配／繁育／繁殖／以…为食
- fish/amphibians swim/spawn (= lay eggs)鱼／两栖动物游动／产卵
- birds fly/migrate/nest/sing鸟飞翔／迁徙／筑巢／啼叫
- insects crawl/fly/bite/sting昆虫爬／飞／咬／叮
- insects/bees/locusts swarm昆虫／蜜蜂／蝗虫成群地飞来飞去
- bees collect/gather nectar/pollen蜜蜂采蜜／花粉
- spiders spin/weave a web蜘蛛结网／织网
- snakes/lizards shed their skins蛇／蜥蜴蜕皮
- bears/hedgehogs/frogs hibernate熊／刺猬／青蛙冬眠
- insect larvae grow/develop/pupate昆虫的幼虫生长／发育／化蛹
- an egg/a chick/a larva hatches卵孵化；小鸡出壳；幼虫孵出
- attract/find/choose a mate吸引／找到／选择配偶
- produce/release eggs/sperm产卵；排卵；产生／释放精子
- lay/fertilize/incubate/hatch eggs产卵；使卵受精；孵卵
- inhabit a forest/a reef/the coast栖居于森林／礁石／海岸
- mark/enter/defend (a) territory标出／进入／保卫领地
- stalk/hunt/capture/catch/kill prey悄悄接近／猎杀／捕获／杀死猎物
Plants and fungi植物和真菌
- trees/plants grow/bloom/blossom/flower树木／植物生长／开花
- a seed germinates/sprouts种子发芽
- leaves/buds/roots/shoots appear/develop/form叶子／花蕾／根茎／幼苗长出来／长大／成形
- flower buds swell/open花蕾含苞欲放／绽放
- a fungus grows/spreads/colonizes something菌类生长／扩散／长满…
- pollinate/fertilize a flower/plant给花／植物授粉
- produce/release/spread/disperse pollen/seeds/spores长出／传播花粉／种子／孢子
- produce/bear fruit结果
- develop/grow/form roots/shoots/leaves长出根茎／嫩芽／叶子
- provide/supply/absorb/extract/release nutrients提供／吸收／提取／释放营养物
- perform/increase/reduce photosynthesis进行／增加／减少光合作用
Bacteria and viruses细菌和病毒
- bacteria/microbes/viruses grow/spread/multiply细菌／微生物／病毒生长／扩散／繁殖
- bacteria/microbes live/thrive in/on something细菌／微生物在…中存活／大量生长
- bacteria/microbes/viruses evolve/colonize something/cause disease细菌／微生物／病毒进化／长满…／引发疾病
- bacteria break something down/convert something (into something)细菌（将某物）分解／转化（成某物）
- a virus enters/invades something/the body病毒进入／侵入某物／身体
- a virus mutates/evolves/replicates (itself)病毒变异／演化／（自我）复制
- be infected with/contaminated with/exposed to a new strain of a virus/drug-resistant bacteria感染上／接触到一种新病毒／抗药性细菌
- contain/carry/harbour bacteria/a virus带有细菌／病毒
- kill/destroy/eliminate harmful/deadly bacteria杀灭有害的／致命的细菌
- The young deer are ideal prey for the leopard.小鹿是豹的理想猎物。
- They watched a hawk swoop down on its unsuspecting prey.他们看到一只鹰向毫无戒备的猎物猛扑过去。
- a cat pouncing on its prey猛扑向猎物的猫
Topics Birdsc1, Animalsc1
Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- easy
- helpless
- unsuspecting
- …
verb + prey
- chase
- circle
- hunt for
- …
preposition
- prey for
- prey to
phrases
- a beast of prey
- a bird of prey
- be prey to something
- …
a person who is harmed or tricked by somebody, especially for dishonest purposes受害者；受骗者
- Elderly people are easy prey for dishonest salesmen.老年人容易上狡诈推销员的当。
Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- easy
- helpless
- unsuspecting
- …
verb + prey
- chase
- circle
- hunt for
- …
preposition
- prey for
- prey to
phrases
- a beast of prey
- a bird of prey
- be prey to something
- …

词源Middle English (also denoting plunder taken in war): the noun from Old French preie, from Latin praeda ‘booty’, the verb from Old French preier, based on Latin praedari ‘seize as plunder’, from praeda.

Idioms

be/fall prey to something (formal)

(of an animal动物) to be killed and eaten by another animal or bird被捕食；成为猎物
- Many small birds and rodents fall prey to the domestic cat.许多小鸟和啮齿动物成为家猫的猎物。
(of a person人) to be harmed or affected by something bad受害；受坏影响
- Since the attack, she had fallen prey to irrational fears.自从那次袭击后，她就成了非理性恐惧的牺牲品。
- She knew she must not fall prey to his charm.她清楚自己绝不可以被他迷住。
- The new government has fallen prey to corruption and fraud.新一届政府深受腐败与欺诈之苦。