Large, dangerous, or wild animals, especially four-legged mammals. Can also refer metaphorically to cruel or savage people.
From Old French 'beste', derived from Latin 'bestia' meaning wild animal. The word evolved from simply meaning 'animal' to emphasizing the wild, dangerous, or untamed nature of creatures.
The word 'beast' originally just meant any animal, but over time it became associated specifically with dangerous or wild ones. Interestingly, the phrase 'beauty and the beast' helped cement the word's association with something fearsome yet potentially redeemable.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.