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monster

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mon⋅ster

  [mon-ster]
Use monster in a Sentence
–noun
1. a legendary animal combining features of animal and human form or having the forms of various animals in combination, as a centaur, griffin, or sphinx.
2. any creature so ugly or monstrous as to frighten people.
3. any animal or human grotesquely deviating from the normal shape, behavior, or character.
4. a person who excites horror by wickedness, cruelty, etc.
5. any animal or thing huge in size.
6. Biology.
a. an animal or plant of abnormal form or structure, as from marked malformation or the absence of certain parts or organs.
b. a grossly anomalous fetus or infant, esp. one that is not viable.
7. anything unnatural or monstrous.
–adjective
8. huge; enormous; monstrous: a monster tree.
Origin:
1250–1300; ME monstre < L mōnstrum portent, unnatural event, monster, equiv. to mon(ēre) to warn + -strum n. suffix

Related forms:
mon⋅ster⋅like, adjective

Synonyms:
4. fiend, brute, demon, devil, miscreant.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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mon·ster   (mŏn'stər)   
n.  

    1. An imaginary or legendary creature, such as a centaur or Harpy, that combines parts from various animal or human forms.

    2. A creature having a strange or frightening appearance.

  2. An animal, a plant, or other organism having structural defects or deformities.

  3. Pathology A fetus or an infant that is grotesquely abnormal and usually not viable.

  4. A very large animal, plant, or object.

  5. One who inspires horror or disgust: a monster of selfishness.

adj.  Informal Extremely large; monstrous: a monster hit at the box office; ate a monster steak.

[Middle English monstre, from Old French, from Latin mōnstrum, portent, monster, from monēre, to warn; see men-1 in Indo-European roots.]
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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Slang Dictionary
monster

  1. n.
    any powerful drug affecting the central nervous system. (Drugs.) : This PCP is a monster. Why don't the cops put a stop to it?
  2. mod.
    having to do with a powerful or addictive drug. (Drugs.) : Where the devil did you get that monster dust?
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Word Origin & History

monster 
c.1300, "malformed animal, creature afflicted with a birth defect," from O.Fr. monstre, from L. monstrum "monster, monstrosity, omen, portent, sign," from root of monere "warn" (see monitor). Abnormal or prodigious animals were regarded as signs or omens of impending evil. Extended c.1385 to imaginary animals composed of parts of creatures (centaur, griffin, etc.). Meaning "animal of vast size" is from 1530; sense of "person of inhuman cruelty or wickedness" is from 1556. In O.E., the monster Grendel was an aglæca, a word related to aglæc "calamity, terror, distress, oppression."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: mon·ster
Pronunciation: 'män(t)-st&r
Function: noun
: an animal or plant of abnormal form or structure; especially : a fetus or offspring with a major developmental abnormality monster with two heads> —monster adjective
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

monster mon·ster (mŏn'stər)
n.

  1. An animal, a plant, or other organism having structural defects or deformities.

  2. A fetus or an infant that is grotesquely abnormal and usually not viable.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Idioms & Phrases

monster

see green-eyed monster.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Encyclopedia

monster

in biology, an embryo, a newborn animal, or young plant that is grossly deformed. The defects may be genetic (i.e., inherited) or result from such influences as drugs, X rays, or diseases. Two main types of monster are recognized: those with defective or excessive growth of body parts and those with partial or complete doubling of the body on one of its axes. The repetition or absence of body parts such as fingers or toes are frequent anomalies in humans and other mammals.

Learn more about monster with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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