{
    "term": "prey",
    "partOfSpeech": "noun",
    "ox5000": true,
    "cefr": "c1",
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "an animal, a bird, etc. that is hunted, killed and eaten by another",
            "cefr": "c1",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The lion will often stalk its prey for hours."
                },
                {
                    "text": "**birds of prey** *(= birds that kill for food)*"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The young deer are ideal prey for the leopard."
                },
                {
                    "text": "They watched a hawk swoop down on its unsuspecting prey."
                },
                {
                    "text": "a cat pouncing on its prey"
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Birds", "Animals"],
            "collocations": {
                "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"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "a person who is harmed or tricked by somebody, especially for dishonest purposes",
            "cefr": "c1",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Socially isolated young people are **easy prey** for extremists."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "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"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "to be killed and eaten by another animal or bird",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Many small birds and rodents fall prey to the domestic cat."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "to be harmed or affected by something bad",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Since the attack, he had fallen prey to irrational fears."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She knew she must not fall prey to his charm."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The new government has fallen prey to corruption and fraud."
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/preɪ/",
                "audio": "pr/prey/prey__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/preɪ/",
                "audio": "pr/prey/prey__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "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."
}