Wiktionary

beest

English

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Etymology 1

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

Alternative forms

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Verb

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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

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Etymology 2

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From Middle English beest. See beestings.

Noun

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beest (plural beests)

  1. beestings, colostrum

Anagrams

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Dutch

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Etymology

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

Pronunciation

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Noun

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beest n (plural beesten, diminutive beestje n or (Netherlands, informal) beessie 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

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

Derived terms

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Descendants

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

Anagrams

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Middle English

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Noun

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beest

  1. Alternative form of beeste

North Frisian

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Verb

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beest

  1. second-person singular present of wees

West Frisian

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Pronunciation

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Noun

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beest n (plural beesten, diminutive beestje or beestke)

  1. Alternative form of bist
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