beast
pronunciation
How to pronounce beast in British English:
UK [biːst]
How to pronounce beast in American English:
US [biːst]
-
- Noun:
- a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
- a cruelly rapacious person
Word Origin
- beast
- beast: [13] Beast replaced deer as the general word for ‘animal’ in the 13th century (deer of course remained in use for antlered animals of the family Cervidae), and was itself replaced by animal in the 17th century. It entered English via Old French beste from Latin bēstia (source of English bestial [14]).=> bestial
- beast (n.)
- c. 1200, from Old French beste "animal, wild beast," figuratively "fool, idiot" (11c., Modern French bête), from Vulgar Latin *besta, from Latin bestia "beast, wild animal," which is of unknown origin. Used to translate Latin animal. Replaced Old English deor (see deer) as the generic word for "wild creature," only to be ousted 16c. by animal. Of persons felt to be animal-like in various senses from early 13c. Of the figure in the Christian apocalypse story from late 14c.
Example
- 1. Next to the beast are nine chinese characters .
- 2. A haunt for every unclean and hateful beast .
- 3. In fact , mr johnson hates the beast .
- 4. He put the beast out and headed home .
- 5. As they write in naturwissenschaftenthis week , the researchers believe this plant-eating beast lived during the cretaceous period , which lasted until about 65 million years ago .