Bestiary Definition

bĕschē-ĕrē, bēs-
bestiaries
noun
A book consisting of a collection of descriptions of real and fabulous animals, often including a moral or allegorical interpretation of each animal's behavior. Bestiaries were particularly popular in medieval Europe.
American Heritage
A type of medieval natural-history book with descriptions and moralistic and religious interpretations of actual and mythical animals.
Webster's New World

A medieval treatise of various real or imaginary animals.

Wiktionary

Other Word Forms of Bestiary

Noun

Singular:
bestiary
Plural:
bestiaries

Origin of Bestiary

  • From French bestiaire, from Medieval Latin bēstiārium, from Latin bēstia (“beast, animal”) (whence English beast).

    From Wiktionary

  • Medieval Latin bēstiārium from Latin bēstia beast

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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