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Added 9 October 2026

behemoth

/bəˈhi(ː).məθ/ noun

Latin root: behemoth Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about behemoth at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A great and mighty beast which God shows to Job in Job 40:15–24.
Any great and mighty monster.
Something which has the qualities of great power and might, and monstrous proportions.

Origin

From Middle English behemoth, bemoth, from Late Latin behemoth, from Hebrew בְּהֵמוֹת (behemót). Most likely, the Hebrew word is an intensive plural of בְּהֵמָה (behemá, “beast”), from Proto-Semitic (compare Ge'ez ብህመ (bəhmä, “to be dumb, to be speechless”), Arabic ب ه م (b h m)).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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