FromMiddle Englishbēst,biest,beost,bist, fromOld Englishbist; equivalent tobe +-est. CompareWest Frisianbist,Germanbist.
beest
- (archaic)second-personsingularpresentindicative orsubjunctive ofbe
1610–1611 (date written),William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, inMr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London:[…]Isaac Iaggard, andEd[ward] Blount, published1623,→OCLC,[Act II, scene ii]:Stephano! if thoubeest 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”, inPoems,[…] with Elegies on the Authors Death, London:[…] M[iles] F[lesher] forIohn Marriot, […], published1633,→OCLC:If thou, to be so seene,beest loath, / By Sunne, or Moone, thou darknest both […].
FromMiddle Englishbeest. Seebeestings.
beest (pluralbeests)
- beestings,colostrum
FromMiddle Dutchbeeste, frombeste, fromOld Frenchbeste, fromLatinbēstia.
beest n (pluralbeesten,diminutivebeestje nor(Netherlands,informal)beessie n)
- ananimal, abeast
- Er zit eenbeestje in m'n soep. ―There is abug in my soup.
- an animal kept aslivestock, ahead
- (figurative) acruel,wild,uncivilised,uninhibited orbrutalperson
- De folteraars van de grenspolitie waren sadistischebeesten. ―The torturers of the border police were sadisticbeasts.
- Ze is eenbeest. ―She's abeast in bed.
- (Suriname,offensive)jerk,asshole
- Beest has a somewhat negative (or at least savage) connotation, whereasdier is neutral. However, the diminutives are often affectionate.
- In compounds,beest can have the meaning “someone who enjoys an activity”; compareEnglishanimal inparty animal and alsobeast.
beest
- alternative form ofbeeste
beest
- second-personsingularpresent ofwees
beest n (pluralbeesten,diminutivebeestjeorbeestke)
- alternative form ofbist
