I. ˈmänztə(r), -n(t)st- noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English monstre, from Middle French, from Latin monstrum evil omen, monster, monstrosity, probably from monēre to remind, warn — more at mind
1. obsolete : something unnaturally marvelous : prodigy
2.
a. : an animal or plant departing greatly in form or structure from the usual type of its species — compare teratology 2
b. : one who shows a deviation from the normal in behavior or character
at the heart of the legends the researcher too often discovers a stuffed shirt, a faker, or a moral monster — DeLancey Ferguson
3.
a. : a legendary animal usually of great size and ferocity that has a form either partly brute and partly human or compounded of elements from several brute forms
b. : a threatening force : an engulfing power
the same monster — Destiny … that rolls every civilization to doom — W.L.Sullivan
that monster of a forest fire threatening the town
the swollen rivers … are monsters — Gordon Cuyler
4.
a. : an animal of strange and often terrifying shape
visualize this scaleless monster , eight or nine feet long, sprawling in the shade by the side of the mud pools — W.E.Swinton
b. : a living thing unusually large for its kind
a monster of nine pounds … was said to be the largest weakfish — Hamilton Basso
c. : something huge and often of unmanageable proportions
better a variety of different sandwiches than one monster which may prove unwieldy — Al Hine
a great monster of a book — New Yorker
5. : something monstrous ; especially : a person of unnatural or excessive ugliness, deformity, wickedness, or cruelty
the woman is a monster of egoism — Sylvia T. Warner
II. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
1. obsolete : to make a monster of
sure her offense must be of such unnatural degree that monsters it — Shakespeare
2. : to exhibit as unusual or wonderful
III. adjective
: enormous in size, extent, or numbers
the shiny black back of a monster sperm whale — H.A.Chippendale
new monster construction is announced — Flora Lewis
monster entertainment proves a colossal bore — Saturday Review
drew up a monster petition — James Leasor
IV. noun
1. : a roving football linebacker who plays in no set position — called also monster back monster man
2. : one that is highly successful
a box-office monster
V. adjective
: being or producing a best seller
a monster hit
monster bands