beest

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English[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

From Middle English bēst, biest, beost, bist, from Old English bist; equivalent to be +‎ -est. Compare West Frisian bist, German bist.

Alternative forms[edit]

Verb[edit]

beest

  1. (archaic) second-person singular present indicative or subjunctive of be
    • 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii]:
      Stephano! if thou beest Stephano, touch me, and speake to me: for I am Trinculo; be not afeard, thy good friend Trinculo.
    • a. 1631 (date written), J[ohn] Donne, “The Baite”, in Poems, […] with Elegies on the Authors Death, London: […] M[iles] F[lesher] for Iohn Marriot, […], published 1633, →OCLC:
      If thou, to be so seene, beest loath, / By Sunne, or Moone, thou darknest both […].

See also[edit]

Etymology 2[edit]

From Middle English beest. See beestings.

Noun[edit]

beest (plural beests)

  1. beestings, colostrum

Anagrams[edit]

Dutch[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Middle Dutch beeste, from beste, from Old French beste, from Latin bēstia.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

beest n (plural beesten, diminutive beestje n)

  1. An animal, a beast.
    Er zit een beestje in m'n soep.
    There is a bug in my soup.
  2. An animal kept as livestock, a head.
  3. (figurative) A cruel, wild, uncivilised, uninhibited or brutal person.
    De folteraars van de grenspolitie waren sadistische beesten.
    The torturers of the border police were sadistic beasts.
    Ze is een beest.
    She's a beast in bed.

Usage notes[edit]

  • Beest has a somewhat negative (or at least savage) connotation, whereas dier is neutral.
  • In compounds, beest can have the meaning “someone who enjoys an activity”; compare English animal in party animal and also beast.

Derived terms[edit]

Descendants[edit]

  • Afrikaans: bees
  • Jersey Dutch: bêst, beîśe
  • Negerhollands: beest
  • → Papiamentu: bichi
  • → Sranan Tongo: beist

Anagrams[edit]

Middle English[edit]

Noun[edit]

beest

  1. Alternative form of beeste

West Frisian[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

beest n (plural beesten, diminutive beestje or beestke)

  1. Alternative form of bist
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