A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

Bestia,-ae (s.f.I), abl. sg. bestia: a beast 'as a being without reason; opp. to man; an animal is a living being that includes man; bestia includes both fera, the beast as distinguished by fierceness, and belua, as distinguished by its size or ferocity' (Lewis & Short); see animal, serpens,-entis (part.B);

- bestia fera (adj.A), a wild beast; see ferus,-a,-um (adj.A).

- bestias pascere, to provide food for beasts, to pasture beasts.

- bestia veterina (adj.A), a beast of burden or draught (see veterinus,-a,-um (adj.A).

- tota herba, odorem alliaceum volatilem fortiter spirat, a bestiis saepe esa, lactem vaccarum inquinans (Swartz), the whole herb strongly emitting a volatile aliaceous odor, often eaten by beasts, fouling the milk of cows.

Quadrupes,-edis (m.f. and n.III), abl.sg. quadrupede, nom. & acc. Pl. quadrupedes, gen.pl. quadrupedum; also quadripes,-pedis, abl. sg. quadripede: an animal with four feet; when the gender is f., sc. ‘bestia:’ i.e. bestia quadrupes.

NOTE: the English word 'serpent' is formed from the participle 'serpens,-entis' [part.B, creeping, crawling] used as a noun with the word 'bestia,-ae' understood (bestia serpens, gen.sg. bestiae serpentis). The verb relates to the movement of animals whereas repens and reptans classically referred to that of people (Lewis & Short); see animal. Similarly the English word 'rodent' is formed from the participle 'rodens,-entis' [> L. rodens,-entis (part.B), pres. part. rodere, to gnaw, gnawing, biting] used as a noun with the word 'bestia,-ae' understood. Carnivora, neuter pl. of carnivorum, is an order of eutherian mammals, with teeth and other organs adapted to suit their carnivorous habit. A carnivore, as a substantive noun, on analogy with serpent (serpens,-entis, q.v.) would be bestia carnivora (adj.A); a herbivore would be bestia herbivora; see -vorus,-a,-um (adj.A).

- meridianae regiones (i.e. in shipyards) ... tineam, toredines reliquaque bestiarum nocentium genera procreant, southern regions produce the tinea, toredoes and other sorts of hurtful beasts.