Definition of the word prey

The word "prey" descends from Old English pregan, which means "captured thing" or "hunted animal." The Old English prefix pre-, meaning "before," combined with the word gan, meaning "to go" or "to become," created pregan, as it originally referred to an animal that went before a predator to become hunted. Pregan evolved into the Middle English prep, which retained the same meaning, and eventually the Old English word form was replaced entirely by its Middle English counterpart. In Modern English, the term "prey" continues to refer to any animal or organism that is hunted or caught by another animal or natural force.