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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.

One who, or that which, preys; a plunderer; a waster; a devourer. Hooker.

Disposed to take prey. [Obs.] The preyful brood of savage beasts. Chapman.

An eel-like marsipobranch of the genus Petromyzon, and allied genera. The lampreys have a round, sucking mouth, without jaws, but set with numerous minute teeth, and one to three larger teeth on the palate (see Illust. of Cyclostomi). There are seven small branchial openings on each side. [Written also lamper eel, lamp…

The fishhawk.

The common lamprey.

p. p. of Sprenge. Sprinkled. When spreynd was holy water. Chaucer.

Barking; baying of dogs upon their prey. See Bay. [Obs.]

rease in quantity or number; to increase greatly. Ill fares the land, to hastening ills a prey, Where wealth accumulates, and men decay. Goldsmith.

The nest of a bird of prey, as of an eagle or hawk; also a brood of such birds; eyrie. Shak. Also fig.: A human residence or resting place perched like an eagle's nest.

or the purpose of attacking by surprise; to lurk. Nor saw the snake that ambushed for his prey. Trumbull.

e South American snake of the Boa family (Eunectes murinus), which lives near rivers, and preys on birds and small mammals. The name is also applied to a similar large serpent (Python tigris) of Ceylon.

, of the East Indies; -- so called from its ejecting drops of water from its mouth at its prey. The name is also applied to Chætodon rostratus.

Having horns, beak, talons, etc; -- said of beasts and birds of prey. Armed at all points (Blazoning), completely incased in armor, sometimes described as armed cap-à-pie. Cussans. -- Armed en flute. (Naut.) See under Flute. -- Armed magnet, a magnet provided with an armature. -- Armed neutrality. See under Neutrali…

To flap the wings; to flutter as if to fly; or to hover, as a hawk when she stoops to her prey. "Kites that bait and beat." Shak.

Marked with a white spot on the head; bald-faced. Bald buzzard (Zoöl.), the fishhawk or osprey. -- Bald coot (Zoöl.), a name of the European coot (Fulica atra), alluding to the bare patch on the front of the head.

N. by E. To bear against, to approach for attack or seizure; as, a lion bears against his prey. [Obs.] -- To bear away (Naut.), to change the course of a ship, and make her run before the wind. -- To bear back, to retreat. "Bearing back from the blows of their sable antagonist." Sir W. Scott. -- To bear down upon (Na…

bushes, etc., for the purpose of rousing game. To beat the woods, and rouse the bounding prey. Prior.

The perch on which a bird of prey is kept.

pendulous ears, and remarkable for acuteness of smell. It is employed to recover game or prey which has escaped wounded from a hunter, and for tracking criminals. Formerly it was used for pursuing runaway slaves. Other varieties of dog are often used for the same purpose and go by the same name. The Cuban bloodhound i…