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beastie

/ˈbisti/
IPA guide

Other forms: beasties

A beastie is a small animal, especially a cute, wild one like a chipmunk, or a beloved, domesticated one like a pet. Someone might even refer to an insect, such as a ladybug or a cricket, as a beastie.

As you might've guessed, beastie comes from beast, another word for "animal." The -ie added to the end is a diminutive suffix — it's used to indicate something or someone small, cute, or dear. You see it at the end of kiddie, for example. It often has the form -y, as in froggy for a little frog, and it's often attached to a person's name, as in Jeanie or Billy. There it expresses affection even if the person is not small — or cute.

Definitions of beastie
  1. noun
    an insect, used humorously
  2. noun
    a small or cute animal, especially one thought of with affection
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