predator (English)
Where does "predator" come from?
The word predator traces its origins back to the Proto-Indo-European root *gʰed-, meaning 'to find' or 'to seize.' It evolved into the Latin term praeda, or 'booty,' eventually forming praedator to describe one who plunders or raids. Over time, the meaning expanded from this literal sense of a military or criminal looter to include any animal that hunts for sustenance.
Full etymology tree
- predator (English), 'Any animal or other organism that hunts and kills other nonplant organisms (their prey), primarily for food.'
- borrowed praedātor (Latin), 'raider, plunderer, pillager, hunter'
- derived praedor (Latin), 'to acquire loot, such as through robbery or war'
- derived praeda (Latin), 'plunder, booty, pillage, spoils of war, property taken in war'
- inherited *praiɣodā (Proto-Italic), 'plunder, booty'
- inherited *préh₂i-gʰod-eh₂ (Proto-Indo-European)
- compound *prai- (Proto-Indo-European)
- compound *gʰed- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to find'
- inherited *préh₂i-gʰod-eh₂ (Proto-Indo-European)
- inherited *praiɣodā (Proto-Italic), 'plunder, booty'
- suffix -ō (Latin), 'Used to form masculine nouns with various meanings:'
- derived praeda (Latin), 'plunder, booty, pillage, spoils of war, property taken in war'
- suffix -tor (Latin), '-er; used to form masculine agent nouns from verbs'
- derived praedor (Latin), 'to acquire loot, such as through robbery or war'
- borrowed praedātor (Latin), 'raider, plunderer, pillager, hunter'
Direct ancestors
Updated July 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris