predaceous

pre·da·ceous

adj \pri-ˈdā-shəs\

Definition of PREDACEOUS

1

: living by preying on other animals : predatory

2

usually predacious : tending to devour or despoil : rapacious

— pre·da·ceous·ness noun

— pre·dac·i·ty \-ˈda-sə-tē\ noun

Variants of PREDACEOUS

pre·da·ceous or pre·da·cious \pri-ˈdā-shəs\

Examples of PREDACEOUS

1. <the predaceous animals of the jungle, with the tiger at the top of the food chain>

Origin of PREDACEOUS

Latin praedari to prey upon (from praeda prey) + English -aceous or -acious (as in rapacious) — more at prey

First Known Use: 1713

Related to PREDACEOUS

Synonyms: predatory (or predacious), rapacious, raptorial

Related Words: carnivorous; aggressive, deadly, ferocious, fierce, savage, violent; untamed, wild

Near Antonyms: herbivorous, vegetarian; gentle, submissive, tame

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Rhymes with PREDACEOUS

audacious, bodacious, capacious, cetaceous, crustaceous, curvaceous, drupaceous, edacious, fallacious, flirtatious, fugacious, hellacious, herbaceous, loquacious, mendacious, micaceous, pomaceous, pugnacious, rapacious, rosaceous, sagacious, salacious, sebaceous, sequacious, setaceous, tenacious, testaceous, tufaceous, ungracious, veracious, vinaceous, voracious