raptorial

adjective

rap·​to·​ri·​al rap-ˈtȯr-ē-əl 

1

: predaceous sense 1

2

: adapted to seize prey

3

: of, relating to, or being a bird of prey

Synonyms

• predaceous
• predacious
• predatory
• rapacious

Examples of raptorial in a Sentence

the place of raptorial birds in the park's ecosystem

Recent Examples on the Web

Detailed testimonies of refugees along the Balkan route therefore challenge the conventional wisdom that officials tend to protect them from raptorial smugglers. —Max Abrahms, Foreign Affairs, 22 Mar. 2017

Damsel bugs are slender and tan-colored and have slightly raptorial front legs. —Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 July 2023

Massively Powerful Predators Mantis shrimps’ raptorial appendages contain massive muscles that can extend them to their full length in hundredths of a second, producing strike forces that in some species can smash through the glass wall of an aquarium or instantly dismember a crab. —Thomas Cronin, University Of Maryland, Discover Magazine, 3 Aug. 2018

Like its adult counterparts, the little arthropod had a spiny raptorial appendage used for grasping prey and the radiodontan’s characteristic circular mouth filled with sharp teeth. —Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, 11 June 2018

Word History

Etymology

New Latin raptorius "predatory" (from Latin raptōr-, raptor "plunderer, a beast or bird of prey" +-ius, suffix of appurtenance) + -al entry 1 — more at raptor

First Known Use

1825, in the meaning defined at sense 1