Taxonomy of meanings for 獸:　　

Additional information about 獸

說文解字: 【獸】，守備者。 〔小徐本「者」作「也」。〕 从嘼、从犬。 〔小徐本作「從犬、嘼亦聲。」〕 【舒救切】

Criteria
• ANIMAL
  

  [ARCHAIC/CURRENT]

  [[COMMON/RARE]]

  [TECHNICAL-TERM/CURRENT-WORD]

  1. Chóng 蟲 is sometimes referred to animals of any kind, and not only to insect-like creatures.

  [GENERAL]

  2. The current general word for an animal of any kind would appear to be qín shòu 禽獸, although this word definitely excludes snails, insects, snakes and the like.

  [CURRENT], [GENERAL]

  3. Niǎo shòu 鳥獸 refers specifically to all birds and beasts.

  [SPECIFIC]

  4. Wù 物 is sometimes used to refer to what in Christian parlance are "creatures" of any kind. See CREATURE

  [ARCHAIC?], [GENERAL]; [[RARE]]

  5. Dòng wù 動物 refers quite generally to all animals as opposed to plants and inanimate creatures, but the word is really a technical term and is rarely used.

  [GENERAL], [TECHNICAL]; [[RARE]]

• BEAST
  

  [GENERAL]

  [SPECIFIC]

  Wild animals are generally mentioned in the context of hunting or capturing animals, and also in connection with their use in the culinary arts as well as in the production of utensils of all kinds. Their wild nature is standardly contrasted with humane or civilised domesticity.

  1. Qín shòu 禽獸 is the current general word for non-domestic animals which often but not always includes birds of a certain size, but the term which includes all manner of fowl more explicitly is the also current niǎo shòu 鳥獸. See ANIMAL

  [GENERAL]

  2. Qín 禽 is sometimes used to refer quite generally to non-tame animals, especially in so far as these may be caught alive and with a net, but the word also refers specifically to wild birds. The word refers to smaller beasts than shòu 獸.

  [SPECIFIC]

  3. Shòu 獸 tends to refer to dangerous mammals above a certain size that are typically imagined as running (zǒu shòu 走獸 ), and sometimes as liable to bite..

  [SPECIFIC]

  4. Yě shòu 野獸 focusses on the habitat of wild animals far from human habitation, in the open countryside.

  5. Máo 毛 and máo wù 毛物 refer generally to animals with feathers or fur, birds and beasts.

Word relations
• Ant: (BEAST)禽/BIRD Qín 禽 refers to a large bird, typically a bird of prey that one might hunt for, and the word is predominantly used as a mass noun. (But note that the word can also be used to refer to wild beasts rather than birds.) [MASS!], [SPECIFIC] 1 Attribution
• Object: (BEAST)餧 / 餵/FEED wèi 1 Attribution
• Epithet: (BEAST)走/RUN The current general word for running is zǒu 走 (ant. bù 步 "go along without running"). 2 Attributions
• Epithet: (BEAST)猛/VIOLENT The current general word for violence in action and in disposition is měng 猛 (ant. nuò 懦 "weakish, pusillanimous") which refers quite generally to a disposition for incisive action and violent reaction without strong positive or negative overtones. 3 Attributions
• Assoc: (BEAST)鹿/DEER The current general term for a deer is lù 鹿. 1 Attribution
• Assoc: (BEAST)禽/BIRD Qín 禽 refers to a large bird, typically a bird of prey that one might hunt for, and the word is predominantly used as a mass noun. (But note that the word can also be used to refer to wild beasts rather than birds.) [MASS!], [SPECIFIC] 7 Attributions
• Assoc: (BEAST)鳥/BIRD Niǎo 鳥 is by far the most common word for any bird, and this word can refer to individual creatures. [COUNT], [GENERAL]; [[COMMON+]] 3 Attributions
• Oppos: (BEAST)人/HUMAN The dominant term is rén 人 which refers to any human. 1 Attribution
• Oppos: (BEAST)魚/FISH The common general term for a fish is yú 魚. 1 Attribution