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beast

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beast

 

  3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  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. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [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  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.




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