餌食

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: Written 餌食 and read えじき, it denotes prey consumed by another creature or, figuratively, a victim exploited by wrongdoing.
• Basic usage: It covers a small fish taken by a bird and a person lured into fraud.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Literal prey versus exploited victim
  • With people it is a forceful metaphor for being targeted and harmed, not literal consumption.