mon´ster|like´

mon|ster «MON stuhr», noun, adjective.

–n.

1. an imaginary creature having parts of different animals. Centaurs, sphinxes, griffins, and mermaids are monsters.

2. an imaginary animal of strange and horrible appearance: »

His imagination transformed shadows into monsters (Charles Brockden Brown).

3. Figurative. a person too wicked to be considered human: »

He is a monster of cruelty.

4. an animal or plant that is very unlike those usually found in nature. A cow with two heads is a monster. SYNONYM(S): monstrosity.

5. Figurative. a huge creature or thing: »

The moving van is a monster of a truck.

SYNONYM(S): giant.

6. Medicine. a congenitally malformed infant with extremely abnormal physical structure; an anomaly.

–adj.

huge; enormous: »

The purpose of the resignation is believed to be to stage a monster demonstration (London Times).

SYNONYM(S): gigantic.

╂[< Old French monstre, learned borrowing from Latin mōnstrum portent; (originally) divine warning, related to monēre to warn]

–mon´ster|like´, adjective.