an animal, a bird, etc. that is hunted, killed and eaten by another 猎物 The lion will often stalk its prey for hours. 狮子经常悄然跟踪猎物达几个小时。 birds of prey (= birds that kill for food) 猛禽
Collocations The living worldThe living world 生物界 Animals 动物 - animals mate/breed/reproduce/feed (on something)
动物交配／繁育／繁殖／以…为食 - fish/amphibians swim/spawn (= lay eggs)
鱼／两栖动物游动／产卵 - birds fly/migrate/nest/sing
鸟飞翔／迁徙／筑巢／啼叫 - insects crawl/fly/bite/sting
昆虫爬／飞／咬／叮 - insects/bees/locusts swarm
昆虫／蜜蜂／蝗虫成群地飞来飞去 - bees collect/gather nectar/pollen
蜜蜂采蜜／花粉 - spiders spin/weave a web
蜘蛛结网／织网 - snakes/lizards shed their skins
蛇／蜥蜴蜕皮 - bears/hedgehogs/frogs hibernate
熊／刺猬／青蛙冬眠 - insect larvae grow/develop/pupate
昆虫的幼虫生长／发育／化蛹 - an egg/a chick/a larva hatches
卵孵化；小鸡出壳；幼虫孵出 - attract/find/choose a mate
吸引／找到／选择配偶 - produce/release eggs/sperm
产卵；排卵；产生／释放精子 - lay/fertilize/incubate/hatch eggs
产卵；使卵受精；孵卵 - inhabit a forest/a reef/the coast
栖居于森林／礁石／海岸 - mark/enter/defend (a) territory
标出／进入／保卫领地 - stalk/hunt/capture/catch/kill prey
悄悄接近／猎杀／捕获／杀死猎物
Plants and fungi 植物和真菌 - trees/plants grow/bloom/blossom/flower
树木／植物生长／开花 - a seed germinates/sprouts
种子发芽 - leaves/buds/roots/shoots appear/develop/form
叶子／花蕾／根茎／幼苗长出来／长大／成形 - flower buds swell/open
花蕾含苞欲放／绽放 - a fungus grows/spreads/colonizes something
菌类生长／扩散／长满… - pollinate/fertilize a flower/plant
给花／植物授粉 - produce/release/spread/disperse pollen/seeds/spores
长出／传播花粉／种子／孢子 - produce/bear fruit
结果 - develop/grow/form roots/shoots/leaves
长出根茎／嫩芽／叶子 - provide/supply/absorb/extract/release nutrients
提供／吸收／提取／释放营养物 - perform/increase/reduce photosynthesis
进行／增加／减少光合作用
Bacteria and viruses 细菌和病毒 - bacteria/microbes/viruses grow/spread/multiply
细菌／微生物／病毒生长／扩散／繁殖 - bacteria/microbes live/thrive in/on something
细菌／微生物在…中存活／大量生长 - bacteria/microbes/viruses evolve/colonize something/cause disease
细菌／微生物／病毒进化／长满…／引发疾病 - bacteria break something down/convert something (into something)
细菌（将某物）分解／转化（成某物） - a virus enters/invades something/the body
病毒进入／侵入某物／身体 - a virus mutates/evolves/replicates (itself)
病毒变异／演化／（自我）复制 - be infected with/contaminated with/exposed to a new strain of a virus/drug-resistant bacteria
感染上／接触到一种新病毒／抗药性细菌 - contain/carry/harbour bacteria/a virus
带有细菌／病毒 - kill/destroy/eliminate harmful/deadly bacteria
杀灭有害的／致命的细菌
Extra ExamplesTopics Birdsc1, Animalsc1The young deer are ideal prey for the leopard. 小鹿是豹的理想猎物。 They watched a hawk swoop down on its unsuspecting prey. 他们看到一只鹰向毫无戒备的猎物猛扑过去。 a cat pouncing on its prey 猛扑向猎物的猫
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- easy
- helpless
- unsuspecting
- …
- chase
- circle
- hunt for
- …
- prey for
- prey to
- a beast of prey
- a bird of prey
- be prey to something
- …
a person who is harmed or tricked by somebody, especially for dishonest purposes 受害者；受骗者 Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- easy
- helpless
- unsuspecting
- …
- chase
- circle
- hunt for
- …
- prey for
- prey to
- a beast of prey
- a bird of prey
- be prey to something
- …
Word OriginMiddle English (also denoting plunder taken in war): the noun from Old French preie, from Latin praeda ‘booty’, the verb from Old French preier, based on Latin praedari ‘seize as plunder’, from praeda.
Idioms
be/fall prey to something (formal)
(of an animal 动物 to be killed and eaten by another animal or bird 被捕食；成为猎物 Many small birds and rodents fall prey to the domestic cat. 许多小鸟和啮齿动物成为家猫的猎物。
(of a person 人 to be harmed or affected by something bad 受害；受坏影响