predator

Where does the word "predator" come from? It comes from Latin praedator, and was adopted directly into English (1600s).

Predator’s story begins in Latin: praedator meant “a plunderer.” A plunderer, from praeda (booty, prey). It reached English by 1600s as predator. Settled as the biological word for an animal that hunts others for food. Today, predator means an animal that hunts, kills, and eats other animals.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient praedator "a plunderer", a plunderer, from praeda (booty, prey).
2. Stage 2 · English · 1600s predator "an animal that hunts other animals for food", settled as the biological word for an animal that hunts others for food.