prowl
English
Etymology
From Middle English prollen, of unknown origin.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /pɹaʊl/
Audio (UK) (file) - Rhymes: -aʊl
- (obsolete) IPA(key): /pɹoʊl/
Verb
prowl (third-person singular simple present prowls, present participle prowling, simple past and past participle prowled)
- (transitive, intransitive) To rove over, through, or about in a stealthy manner; especially, to search in, as for prey or booty.
- a. 1587, Philippe Sidnei [i.e., Philip Sidney], “(please specify the page number)”, in Fulke Greville, Matthew Gwinne, and John Florio, editors, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia [The New Arcadia], London: […] [John Windet] for William Ponsonbie, published 1590, OCLC 801077108; republished in Albert Feuillerat, editor, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia (Cambridge English Classics: The Complete Works of Sir Philip Sidney; I), Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: University Press, 1912, OCLC 318419127:
- He prowls each place, still in new colours decked.
- Watch the lioness prowling in the shrubbery for zebras.
- It's easy to sneak vandalism into Wiktionary as there are few other users prowling the Recent Changes page.
- 2011 January 5, Mark Ashenden, “Wolverhampton 1 - 0 Chelsea”, in BBC:
- While McCarthy prowled the touchline barking orders, his opposite number watched on motionless and expressionless and, with 25 minutes to go, decided to throw on Nicolas Anelka for Kalou.
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- (intransitive) To idle; to go about aimlessly.
- That dandy has nothing better to do than prowl around town all day in his pinstripe suit.
- (transitive, obsolete) To collect by plunder.
- to prowl money
Derived terms
- aprowl
- on the prowl
- prowl car
- prowler
Translations
to rove about in a stealthy manner as in search for prey or booty
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to idle; to go about aimlessly
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
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Noun
prowl (plural prowls)
- (colloquial) The act of prowling.
- I'm going on a midnight prowl.