prowler

noun

prowl·​er ˈprau̇-lər 

plural prowlers

: a person or animal that prowls

Within a few million years of this major turning point in Earth history, the seas were swarming with myriad forms of life, swimmers, prowlers, sedentary beasts, and burrowers.

—Roger Lewin

especially : a person who moves through an area or place in a quiet and stealthy way in order to commit a crime

There were reports of a prowler in the neighborhood.

He felt uneasy being out there by himself. No one ever walked in Linden Hills, and he didn't want to be mistaken for a prowler.

—Gloria Naylor

… she kills him with a shotgun, claiming that in the dark she mistook him for a prowler.

—Lawrence Eisenberg

Examples of prowler in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That night, after midnight, Massey called 911 from her Springfield, Ill., home to report a prowler. —Jonathan Edwards, Washington Post, 26 July 2024

The sheriff’s office said it was called over a report of a prowler. —Antonio Planas, NBC News, 13 July 2024

On July 6, Grayson responded to a report of a prowler at Massey’s home. —Ray Sanchez, CNN, 3 Aug. 2024

Simply the sound of a barking dog can cause a prowler to change his mind. —Anne Kniggendorf, Kansas City Star, 31 Jan. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1519, in the meaning defined above