Adjacent Words

Beast definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

BEAST, n. [L. bestia. See Boisterous.]
1. Any four footed animal, which may be used for labor, food or sport; distinguished from fowls, insects, fishes and man; as beasts of burden, beasts of the chase, beasts of the forest. It is usually applied to large animals.
2. Opposed to man, it signifies any irrational animal, as in the phrase "man and beast." So wild beast.
3. Figuratively, a brutal man; a person rude, coarse, filthy, or acting in a manner unworthy of a rational creature.
4. A game at cards. Hence to beast.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a living organism characterized by voluntary movement [syn: animal, animate being, beast, brute, creature, fauna]
2: a cruelly rapacious person [syn: beast, wolf, savage, brute, wildcat]

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: Middle English beste, from Anglo-French, from Latin bestia Date: 13th century 1. a. a four-footed mammal as distinguished from a human being, a lower vertebrate, and an invertebrate b. a lower animal as distinguished from a human being c. an animal as distinguished from a plant d. an animal under human control 2. a contemptible person 3. something formidably difficult to control or deal with

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 an animal other than a human being, esp. a wild quadruped. 2 a a brutal person. b colloq. an objectionable or unpleasant person or thing (he's a beast for not inviting her; a beast of a problem). 3 (prec. by the) a human being's brutish or uncivilized characteristics (saw the beast in him). Phrases and idioms: beast of burden an animal, e.g. an ox, used for carrying loads. beast of prey see PREY. Etymology: ME f. OF beste f. Rmc besta f. L bestia

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Beast Beast, n. [OE. best, beste, OF. beste, F. b[^e]te, fr. L. bestia.] 1. Any living creature; an animal; -- including man, insects, etc. [Obs.] --Chaucer. 2. Any four-footed animal, that may be used for labor, food, or sport; as, a beast of burden. A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast. --Prov. xii. 10. 3. As opposed to man: Any irrational animal. 4. Fig.: A coarse, brutal, filthy, or degraded fellow. 5. A game at cards similar to loo. [Obs.] --Wright. 6. A penalty at beast, omber, etc. Hence: To be beasted, to be beaten at beast, omber, etc. Beast royal, the lion. [Obs.] --Chaucer. Syn: Beast, Brute. Usage: When we use these words in a figurative sense, as applicable to human beings, we think of beasts as mere animals governed by animal appetite; and of brutes as being destitute of reason or moral feeling, and governed by unrestrained passion. Hence we speak of beastly appetites; beastly indulgences, etc.; and of brutal manners; brutal inhumanity; brutal ferocity. So, also, we say of a drunkard, that he first made himself a beast, and then treated his family like a brute.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(beasts) You can refer to an animal as a beast, especially if it is a large, dangerous, or unusual one. (LITERARY) ...the threats our ancestors faced from wild beasts. N-COUNT

Easton's Bible Dictionary

This word is used of flocks or herds of grazing animals (Ex. 22:5; Num. 20:4, 8, 11; Ps. 78:48); of beasts of burden (Gen. 45:17); of eatable beasts (Prov. 9:2); and of swift beasts or dromedaries (Isa. 60:6). In the New Testament it is used of a domestic animal as property (Rev. 18:13); as used for food (1 Cor. 15:39), for service (Luke 10:34; Acts 23:24), and for sacrifice (Acts 7:42).

When used in contradistinction to man (Ps. 36:6), it denotes a brute creature generally, and when in contradistinction to creeping things (Lev. 11:2-7; 27:26), a four-footed animal.

The Mosaic law required that beasts of labour should have rest on the Sabbath (Ex. 20:10; 23:12), and in the Sabbatical year all cattle were allowed to roam about freely, and eat whatever grew in the fields (Ex. 23:11; Lev. 25:7). No animal could be castrated (Lev. 22:24). Animals of different kinds were to be always kept separate (Lev. 19:19; Deut. 22:10). Oxen when used in threshing were not to be prevented from eating what was within their reach (Deut. 25:4; 1 Cor.9:9).

This word is used figuratively of an infuriated multitude (1 Cor. 15:32; Acts 19:29; comp. Ps. 22:12, 16; Eccl. 3:18; Isa. 11:6-8), and of wicked men (2 Pet. 2:12). The four beasts of Daniel 7:3, 17, 23 represent four kingdoms or kings.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

best: This word occurs often in both Old and New Testaments and denotes generally a mammal (though sometimes a reptile) in distinction to a man, a bird, or a fish. In this distinction the English is fairly in accord with the Hebrew and Greek originals. The commonest Hebrew words behemah and chai have their counterpart in the Arabic as do three others less often used, be`ir (Ge 45:17; Ex 22:5; Nu 20:8 the King James Version), nephesh (Le 24:18), and Tebhach (Pr 9:2). Behemah and A rabic bahimah are from a root signifying vagueness or dumbness and so denote primarily a dumb beast. Chai and Arabic chaiwan are from the root chayah (Arabic chaya), "to live," and denote primarily living creatures. Be`ir, "cattle," and its root-verb, ba`ar, "to graze," are identical with the Arabic ba`ir and ba`ara, but with a curious difference in meaning. Ba`ir is a common word for camel among the Bedouin and the root-verb, ba`ara, means "to drop dung," ba`rah being a common word for the dung of camels, goats, and sheep. Nephesh corresponds in every way with the Arabic nephs, "breath," "soul" or "self" Tebhach from Tabhach, "to slaughter," is equivalent to the Arabic dhibch from dhabacha, with the same meaning. Both therion ("wild beast"), and zoon ("living thing"), occur often in the Apocalypse. They are found also in a few other places, as mammals (Heb 13:11) or figuratively (Tit 1:12). Therion is used also of the viper which fastened on Paul's hand, and this has parallels in classic al Greek. Beasts of burden and beasts used for food were and are an important form of property, hence, ktenos ("possession"), the word used for the good Samaritan's beast (Lu 10:34) and for the beasts with which Lysias provided Paul for his journey to Caesarea (Ac 23:24).

For "swift beast," kirkaroth, "dromedary" (Isa 66:20 the King James Version), see CAMEL. For "swift beast," rekhesh, see HORSE (Mic 1:13 the King James Version; 1Ki 4:28 the King James Version, margin; compare Es 8:10,14).

See also WILD BEAST.

Alfred Ely Day

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Quadruped, beast of the field, four-footed creature. 2. Brute, irrational animal. 3. Brutal or bestial person, brute, savage, sensualist, clod.

1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue

To drink like a beast, i.e. only when thirsty.

Moby Thesaurus

Mafioso, Young Turk, animal, anthropophagite, barbarian, being, beldam, berserk, berserker, bomber, brute, cannibal, creature, creeping thing, critter, cur, demon, destroyer, devil, dog, dragon, dumb animal, dumb friend, fiend, fire-eater, firebrand, fury, goon, gorilla, gunsel, hardnose, hell-raiser, hellcat, hellhound, hellion, holy terror, hood, hoodlum, hothead, hotspur, hound, hyena, incendiary, insect, killer, living being, living thing, mad dog, madcap, man-eater, mongrel, monster, mugger, nihilist, pig, polecat, quadruped, rapist, reptile, revolutionary, savage, serpent, shark, she-wolf, skunk, snake, spitfire, swine, termagant, terror, terrorist, tiger, tigress, tough, tough guy, ugly customer, vandal, varmint, vermin, violent, viper, virago, vixen, whelp, wild beast, wild man, witch, wolf, worm, wrecker