[beast] n [ME beste, fr. OF, fr. L bestia] (13c) 1 a: a four-footed mammal as distinguished from a human being, a lower vertebrate, and an invertebrate b: a lower animal as distinguished from a human being c: an animal as distinguished from a plant d: an animal under human control
2: a contemptible person
3: something formidably difficult to control or deal with