Hunts and feeds on other animals; or takes unfair advantage of someone vulnerable.
From Old French 'preier' meaning to plunder or seize, derived from Latin 'praeda' (plunder, prey). Used literally for animals and metaphorically for exploiting people.
When a hawk preys on mice, it's nature; when a scammer preys on elderly people, it's crime—but the word reminds us that 'prey' behavior happens in both animal and human worlds.
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