/ ˈpredətə(r); NAmE / noun
1.
an animal that kills and eats other animals :
the relationship between predator and prey
2.
( disapproving ) a person or an organization that uses weaker people for their own advantage :
to protect domestic industry from foreign predators
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WORD ORIGIN
1920s: from Latin praedator plunderer, from praedat- seized as plunder, from the verb praedari seize as plunder, from praeda booty.