# predator

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈpɹɛd.ə.tɚ/ · frequency rank #11,089

## Definitions
1. Any animal or other organism that hunts and kills other nonplant organisms (their prey), primarily for food.
2. Someone who attacks and plunders for gain.
3. A sexual predator.

## Etymology
Borrowed from Latin praedātor, from praedor (“loot, pillage”), from praeda (“booty, spoils, prey”).

## Easily confused with
- **predatory** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/predator-vs-predatory)
- **predictor** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/predator-vs-predictor)
- **predate** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/predate-vs-predator)
- **predation** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/predation-vs-predator)

## Common misspellings (12)
`perdator`, `ppredator`, `prdeator`, `preadtor`, `predaotr`, `predatorr`, `predatro`, `predattor`, `preddator`, `predtaor`, `prredator`, `rpedator`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/predator