predation

«predation» in Mova's school dictionary: when one animal (a predator) hunts, kills and eats… — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples.

part of speech

noun (predation — uncountable)

meaning for a pupil

Predation is when one animal (a predator) hunts, kills and eats another animal (its prey). tree →

sense in the lessons

In science lessons on food chains and ecosystems, predation keeps the numbers of prey animals in balance; if predators disappear, prey can become too many. Animals avoid predation with camouflage, speed, shells, warning colours and living in groups. Conservation groups protect nests from predation by foxes or rats.

examples

• Camouflage helps insects avoid predation. tree →
• Predation by foxes is a danger to ground-nesting birds. tree →
• Wolves control deer numbers through predation. tree →
• Living in herds protects zebras from predation. tree →
• Rats on the island caused heavy predation of seabird eggs. tree →
• Predation is part of every food chain. tree →

note

Uncountable. Related: predator (the hunter), prey (the hunted), predatory (adjective). A formal science word.

Trees and pragmatics

Every meaning and example of «predation» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.