prowler
nounUS /ˈpɹaʊlɚ/ · UK /ˈpɹaʊlə/
Etymology From prowl + -er.
1
One who roves about for prey; one who prowls.
- House Prees and Bloods […] were everywhere to be seen in earnest colloquy. For the matter was, that there was some sort of night-prowler about the school grounds.1922, Michael Arlen, “1/1/2”, in “Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These Days:
2
A person who moves stealthily around a place with intention to commit a crime, especially burglary or theft.
- Discourage nighttime prowlers by installing motion-sensitive lights.2008 January 11, “What to put between you and burglars”, in CNN:
- “I was under the impression that a prowler had broken in and killed my baby. Never did they say that it was a deputy-involved shooting until my brother read it on the internet,” Wilburn said.2024 July 24, Emma Tucker and Bill Kirkos, “What we know about the deputy charged with killing Sonya Massey in her home after she called 911 for help”, in CNN: