Lewis & Short

Parsing inflected forms may not always work as expected. If the following does not give the correct word, try Latin Words or Perseus.

praeda, ae (old abl. sing. PRAEDAD. Inscr. Col. Rostr.), f. [for praehenda, from praehendo, v. prehendo], property taken in war, booty, spoil, plunder, pillage (syn.: exuviae, spolium).

  1. I. Lit.: praedā exercitus undat, Enn. ap. Serv. ad Verg. G. 2, 437 (Ann. v. 320 Vahl.): praedas ac manubias in urbis ornamenta conferre, Cic. Agr. 2, 23, 61; cf. manubiae, and the passages there cited with praeda; so plur.: praedarum in parte repertā frangebat pocula, Juv. 11, 101.
    Mostly sing.: praeda ante parta, Cic. Prov. Cons. 11, 28: praedam capere de praedonibus Plaut. Truc. 1, 2, 14: praedam militibus donare, Caes. B. G. 7, 11 fin.: victores praedā spoliisque potiti, Verg. A. 9, 450.
  2. II. Transf.
    1. A. An animal, bird, etc., caught or killed in the chase; prey, game (poet. and in postAug. prose): cervi luporum praeda rapacium, Hor. C. 4, 4, 50; Phaedr. 1, 5; Verg. A. 3, 223; Plin. 8, 55, 81, § 219; of fishing, Plaut. Rud. 4, 2, 4; Ov. M. 13, 936: in saltu venantur aves; hinc praeda cubili Ponitur, Juv. 14, 82.
      Prov.: praeda canum lepus est, Mart. 1, 22, 5.
      Transf., of a person, prey, Plaut. Ps. 4, 7, 23; Ov. H. 15, 51.
    2. B. In gen., booty, spoil, gain, profit: illa, quae empta ex praedā est, Plaut. Ep. 5, 1, 2; 15; 3, 3, 13: adeste, sultis, praeda erit praesentium, id. Stich. 1, 3, 67: maximos quaestus praedasque facere, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 50, § 119; Hor. S. 2, 3, 68: ostendit praedam, treasure trove, Phaedr. 5, 6, 4: a quibus magnas praedas Agesilaus faciebat, from which Agesilaus drew great advantage, Nep. Chabr. 2, 3; cf. Plin. 26, 1, 3, § 4.