(a) One of the animal kingdom (including man), any living creature (non-vegetable); (b) ~ doumb, a dumb animal; dedli ~, mortel ~, mortal creature; devine ~, spiritual or Godlike creature; erthli ~, an animal of the earth; louer ~, one of the animals lower in the scale than man; resounable ~, a creature possessing the power of reason; two-foted ~, biped; unresonable ~.

(a) One of the lower animals, any member of the animal kingdom other than man, animal (as opposed to vegetable or mineral); litel ~, small creature; usually, an insect; (b) bestes kind, ~ state, the nature of a lower animal; ~ of erthe, ~ of feld, lond ~, a land animal; ~ of water; creping ~, a reptile; four-foted ~; notable ~, parfit ~, one of the more highly developed animals; unnotable ~, unparfit ~; man and ~, man and animal; also, every living creature.

(a) An animal (excluding man, and also birds, fish, reptiles, insects, etc.), a beast; (b) ~ of prei; clene ~, an animal that was ceremonially clean under Hebrew law; king of bestes; meke ~, tame ~, tame animal, domesticated animal; unclene ~, an animal that was taboo under Hebrew law; wild ~, undomesticated animal; also, a ferocious animal; (c) hunt. ~ of chace, ~ of venerie, a game animal, a beast of chase [for distinction, see quots.]; biting ~, ?a carnivore; blak ~, ?a kind of wild boar; stinking ~, a game animal whose traces (or tracks) have a strong scent; ?also, an ill-smelling beast.

(a) Any of the larger domesticated animals; an animal used for food; a draft animal; a riding animal; pl. cattle, livestock; litel ~, the young of an animal; also, a small horse; (b) ass ~, an ass; ~ flesh, flesh of an animal, esp., beef; ~ stall, a stall in a stable or barn; bestes binne (cribbe), a manger; bestes of the feld, feld (wold) bestes, cattle of the fields; hous ~, werk ~, a draft animal; plough ~; men and bestes, people and livestock; man and ~.

(a) A monster, fabulous creature; a devil; (b) the seven-headed beast of the Apocalypse; Antichrist; also, one of the seven deadly sins; (c) one of the four winged beasts of the Apocalypse; one of the four Gospel writers.

A brutish person, a cruel or stupid man.

(a) A representation of an animal; (b) astron. a sign of the zodiac; cercle of the bestes, the zodiac; signe of ~, a zodiacal constellation.

The skin of a fur-bearing animal.