Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- intransitive verb To roam through stealthily, as in search of prey or plunder.
- intransitive verb To rove furtively or with predatory intent.
- noun The act or an instance of prowling.
- idiom (on the prowl) Actively looking for something.
from The Century Dictionary.
- To rove or wander over in a stealthy manner: as, to
prowl the woods or the streets. - To collect by plunder.
- To rove or wander stealthily, as one in search of prey or plunder; search carefully, and in a quiet or secretive manner.
- To plunder; prey; foray.
- noun The act of prowling; a roving as for prey: as, to be on the prowl.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- intransitive verb To rove or wander stealthily, esp. for prey, as a wild beast; hence, to prey; to plunder.
- transitive verb To rove over, through, or about in a stealthy manner; esp., to search in, as for prey or booty.
- transitive verb obsolete To collect by plunder.
- noun colloq. The act of prowling.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb To be on the
lookout for someprey . - verb To be watching over something.
- verb To
fanny about , seemingly aimlessly. - verb To walk authoratively.
- noun colloquial The act of prowling.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb move about in or as if in a predatory manner
- noun the act of prowling (walking about in a stealthy manner)
- verb loiter about, with no apparent aim
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
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Examples
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Straight sets: Ruthless Hewitt still on title prowl
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Straight sets: Ruthless Hewitt still on title prowl
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They partied, in other words: a night when they were not on the prowl was a night lost forever.
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Going out on the prowl is usually the last thing on my mind by the time Saturday night rolls around.
unknown title 4esheanb 2009
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Welcome to Snoopworld, where Chevys still are bouncin ', would-be gangstas still kind of prowl the streets (albeit it's a new generation), explicit-isms flow like 40 oz. beer, and tempos best not harsh anyone's mellow.
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Welcome to Snoopworld, where Chevys still are bouncin ', would-be gangstas still kind of prowl the streets (albeit it's a new generation), explicit-isms flow like 40 oz. beer, and tempos best not harsh anyone's mellow.
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Welcome to Snoopworld, where Chevys still are bouncin ', would-be gangstas still kind of prowl the streets (albeit it's a new generation), explicit-isms flow like 40 oz. beer, and tempos best not harsh anyone's mellow.
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Birds of prey "prowl" the air: bald eagles, ospreys, red-tailed hawks, short-eared owls.
The Seattle Times 2010
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On the other, he routinely played soft, in my opinion, and didn't "prowl" his territory.
Pats Pulpit 2009
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This is an advisory that he is on the prowl once again.
SCAM ADVISORY 2010
bilby commented on the word prowl
"But on you will go though the weather be foul. On you will go though your enemies prowl. On you will go though the Hakken-Kraks howl. Onward up many a frightening creek, though your arms may get sore and your sneakers may leak. On and on you will hike. And I know you’ll hike far and face up to your problems whatever they are."
- Dr Seuss, 'Oh! The Places You’ll Go!'
October 13, 2008