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.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
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]
WordNet (r) 2.0
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
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
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.
Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
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