Beast

4 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Beast \Beast\ (b[=e]st), 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.
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     2. Any four-footed animal, that may be used for labor, food,
        or sport; as, a beast of burden.
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              A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast.
                                                    --Prov. xii.
                                                    10.
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     3. any animal other than a human; -- opposed to {man}.
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              'Tain't a fit night out for man nor beast.
                                                    --W. C.
                                                    Fields.
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     4. Fig.: A coarse, brutal, filthy, or degraded fellow.
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     5. A game at cards similar to loo. [Obs.] --Wright.
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     6. A penalty at beast, omber, etc. Hence: To be beasted, to
        be beaten at beast, omber, etc.
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     {Beast royal}, the lion. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
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     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.
            [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

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

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  90 Moby Thesaurus words for "beast":
     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
  
  

From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]:

  Beast
     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.