bestiary (redirected from bestiaries)

bes·ti·ar·y  (bsch-r, bs-)

n. pl. bes·ti·ar·ies

1. A medieval collection of stories providing physical and allegorical descriptions of real or imaginary animals along with an interpretation of the moral significance each animal was thought to embody. A number of common misconceptions relating to natural history were preserved in these popular accounts.

2. A modern version of such a collection.

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[Medieval Latin bstirium, from Latin bstia, beast.]

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bestiary

Noun

pl -aries a medieval collection of descriptions of animals

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bestiary

a collection of fables, intended to teach a moral lesson, in which the characters are real or imaginary animals.

See also: Collections and Collecting

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an allegorical or moralizing commentary based upon real or fabled animals, usually medieval and sometimes illustrated.

See also: Animals

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an allegorical or moralizing commentary, usually medieval and sometimes illustrated, based upon real or fabled animals.

See also: Literature

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Bestiary a medieval written book which collects together verse, prose, and illustrations of real and fabled animals—Wilkes.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

bestiary - a medieval book (usually illustrated) with allegorical and amusing descriptions of real and fabled animals book - a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together); "I am reading a good book on economics"