Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Living by preying on other animals, especially by catching living prey: Describes an animal, particularly a bird, that hunts and feeds on other animals.
   • Relating to or characteristic of birds of prey: Pertaining to the physical features or behaviors typical of predatory birds.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • The eagle's raptorial talons are perfectly adapted for gripping fish.
  • Scientists study the raptorial instincts of hawks and falcons.
  • The museum displayed the skeleton of a raptorial dinosaur.

Advanced Usage

• In Zoology/Ecology: Used technically to classify or describe predatory species and their adaptations.
  • The paper discusses the raptorial forelimbs of mantises.
• Figurative Use (less common): Can describe a grasping, predatory, or intensely eager nature in a non-literal sense.
  • He fixed the negotiator with a raptorial gaze.

Variants and Related Words

• Raptor (n): A bird of prey, such as an eagle, hawk, or owl.
  • The sanctuary cares for injured raptors.
• Predatory (adj): Relating to or characterized by plundering, preying on others. (A broader synonym).
• Rapacious (adj): Aggressively greedy or predatory. (Often implies excessive greed).

Synonyms

• Predatory
• Carnivorous (specifically meat-eating, but not necessarily hunting live prey)
• Hunting

Antonyms

• Herbivorous
• Scavenging (feeding on dead animals, not typically catching live prey)
• Prey (n, as an attributive adjective: )

Related Phrases/Idioms

(Note: "Raptorial" itself is not commonly used in standard idioms. The related noun "raptor" is more frequent.) - Bird of prey: The common phrase for a raptorial bird. - Owls are nocturnal birds of prey.

Adjective

1. living by preying on other animals especially by catching living prey
   • a predatory bird
   • the rapacious wolf
   • raptorial birds
   • ravening wolves
   • a vulturine taste for offal
2. relating to or characteristic of birds of prey
   • raptorial claws and bill for seizing prey