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Prey (?), n. [OF. preie, F. proie, L. praeda, probably for praeheda. See Prehensile, and cf. Depredate, Predatory.] Anything, as goods, etc., taken or got by violence; anything taken by force from an enemy in war; spoil; booty; plunder.

And they brought the captives, and the prey, and the spoil, unto Moses, and Eleazar the priest.

Num. xxxi. 12.

2. That which is or may be seized by animals or birds to be devoured; hence, a person given up as a victim.

The old lion perisheth for lack of prey.

Job iv. ii.

Already sees herself the monster's prey.

Dryden.

3. The act of devouring other creatures; ravage.

Hog in sloth, fox in stealth, . . . lion in prey.

Shak.

Beast of prey, a carnivorous animal; one that feeds on the flesh of other animals.

Prey (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Preyed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Preying.] [OF. preier, preer, L. praedari, fr. praeda. See Prey, n.] To take booty; to gather spoil; to ravage; to take food by violence.

More pity that the eagle should be mewed, While kites and buzzards prey at liberty.

Shak.

To prey on or upon. (a) To take prey from; to despoil; to pillage; to rob. Shak. (b) To seize as prey; to take for food by violence; to seize and devour. Shak. (c) To wear away gradually; to cause to waste or pine away; as, the trouble preyed upon his mind. Addison.

Prey"er (?), n. One who, or that which, preys; a plunderer; a waster; a devourer. Hooker.

Prey"ful (?), a. 1. Disposed to take prey. [Obs.]

The preyful brood of savage beasts.

Chapman.

2. Rich in prey. [Obs.] Shak.

||Pre*zyg`a*poph"y*sis (?), n.; pl. Prezygapophyses (#). [NL. See Pre- ||, and Zygapophysis.] (Anat.) An anterior zygapophysis.

Pri"al (?), n. A corruption of pair royal. See under Pair, n.

Pri"an (?), n. [Cornish, clayey ground, from pri clay.] (Mining) A fine, white, somewhat friable clay; also, the ore contained in a mixture of clay and pebbles. [Written also pryan.]

Pri`a*pe"an (?), n. [Cf. L. Priapeius pertaining to Priapus.] (Lat. Pros.) A species of hexameter verse so constructed as to be divisible into two portions of three feet each, having generally a trochee in the first and the fourth foot, and an amphimacer in the third; -- applied also to a regular hexameter verse when so constructed as to be divisible into two portions of three feet each. Andrews.

Pri"a*pism, n. [L. priapismus, Gr. &?;, from Priapus the god of procreation, the penis, Gr. &?;: cf. F. priapisme.] (Med.) More or less permanent erection and rigidity of the penis, with or without sexual desire.

||Pri*ap`u*la"ce*a (?), n. pl. [NL. See Priapism.] (Zoˆl.) A suborder ||of GephyrÊa, having a cylindrical body with a terminal anal opening, ||and usually with one or two caudal gills.