01 n. Any living creature; an animal; -- including man, insects, etc.
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1.
Any living creature; an animal; -- including man, insects, etc.[Obs.]
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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.
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3.
any animal other than a human; -- opposed to man.“'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.]
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6.
A penalty at beast, omber, etc. Hence: To be beasted, to be beaten at beast, omber, etc.
Phrases & compounds
Beast royal —
the lion.
Syn.
Beast, Brute.
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.