c.1460, "act of plundering or pillaging," from L.
prædationem (nom.
prædatio) "a plundering, act of taking booty," from
prædari "to rob, to plunder," from
præda "plunder, booty, prey" (see
prey). Zoological sense recorded from 1932.
Predatory is first recorded 1589; of animals, 1668.
Predator is from 1922, originally (1840) used of insects that ate other insects. The verb
predate "to seek prey" (1974) is a modern back-formation.