Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
adjective
- preying upon other animals; predatory.
- adapted for seizing prey, as the bill or claws of a bird.
- belonging or pertaining to the Raptores, a former order in which the falconiform and strigiform birds were erroneously grouped together.
adjective zoology
- (of the feet of birds) adapted for seizing prey
- (esp of birds) feeding on prey; predatory
- of or relating to birds of prey
“predatory,” 1825, from raptor + -ial. Alternative raptatorial “predacious” (1840) is from Latin raptatus, past participle of raptare.