prey on
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1.
Plunder or pillage; also, make a profit at someone else's expense, victimize. For example, Vikings preyed on the coastal towns of England, or The rich have been preying on the poor for centuries. [Late 1500s]
2.
Hunt, especially in order to eat, as in Their cat preys on all the rodents in the neighborhood. [c. 1600]
3.
Exert a baneful or injurious effect, as in Guilt preyed on his mind. [c. 1700]
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American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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