behemoth
(Hebrew: buheemohth, "beast, beasts"; Latin: behemoth)
3. When capitalized, a huge animal or beast, possibly the hippopotamus: For a long time in the past, there were those who considered a Behemoth to be an elephant; others, a hippopotamus, a crocodile, etc.
The Behemoth is described in the Old Testament of the Bible at Job 40:15-16: "Behold, Behemoth, which I made as I made you; he eats grass like an ox. Behold his strength in his loins, and his power in the muscles of his belly."
4. Etymology: from Hebrew, buheemah, singular; buheemoth, plural; expressing the magnitude or extraordinary size and strength of a "beast" or "beasts"; borrowed into Latin behemoth; and then Middle English behemoth, bemoth.
Behemoth, noun, in Hebrew, signifies beasts in general, particularly the larger kind, fit for service. But in the Bible, Job speaks of an animal, which he calls behemoth, and describes its particular properties as large, in chapter 40, verse 15.
Bochart has taken much care to make it appear to be the hippopotamus, or river-horse.
Sanctius thinks it is an ox. The Fathers, suppose the devil to be meant by it.
But we agree with the generality of interpreters, in their opinion, that it is the elephant.
Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
so you can see more of Mickey Bach's cartoons.
As a very popular actor, Jacob's movies continue to attract behemothialy large crowds to all of the theaters wherever they are shown.
There is a popular notion that behemothian dinosaurs were so ponderous and lumbering that their great hulks and weights prevented them from roaming very far from where they were born.
A behemothian corporation is a very large business company or organization.
2. Conveying an immense and stupendous stature or body: David's brother was a behemothic football linesman who terrorized opponents during games and helped to have unusually high scores for his team.
The cartoon is an example of a behemothic creature.
Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
so you can see more of Mickey Bach's cartoons.
The behemothical snow storms in parts of the country have resulted in thousands of flight cancellations.