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bestiary

 - 2 dictionary results

bes⋅ti⋅ar⋅y

  [bes-chee-er-ee, bees-]
Use bestiary in a Sentence
–noun, plural -ar⋅ies.
a collection of moralized fables, esp. as written in the Middle Ages, about actual or mythical animals.
Origin:
1615–25; < ML bēstiārium, neut. of L bēstiārius. See beast, -ary

Related forms:
bes⋅ti⋅a⋅rist  [bes-chee-er-ist, -cher-, bees-] , noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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bes·ti·ar·y   (běs'chē-ěr'ē, bēs'-)   
n.   pl. bes·ti·ar·ies

  1. A medieval collection of stories providing physical and allegorical descriptions of real or imaginary animals along with an interpretation of the moral significance each animal was thought to embody. A number of common misconceptions relating to natural history were preserved in these popular accounts.

  2. A modern version of such a collection.


[Medieval Latin bēstiārium, from Latin bēstia, beast.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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