an animal, perhaps the hippopotamus, mentioned in Job 40:15–24.
any creature or thing of monstrous size or power: The army's new tank is a behemoth.The cartel is a behemoth that small business owners fear.
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WATCH NOW: What Is The Origin Of The Word "Behemoth"?
What exactly is a behemoth? Well, the original behemoth was found in the ... duh, duh, duh ... Bible.
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Origin of behemoth
1350–1400; <Hebrew bəhēmōth, an augmentative plural of bəhēmāh beast; replacing Middle English bemoth
historical usage of behemoth
The original behemoth is found in the Bible. Job 40:15-24 describes a land-dwelling beast having mythic proportions (a tail like a cedar tree) and supernatural characteristics (bones like bars of brass and iron). The Hebrew word that is used ( bəhēmōth ) is the augmentative plural form of the word for “beast” or “animal.” Normally, bəhēmōth would translate as the plural noun “beasts,” but as it is used to describe a singular being, the interpretation is that of a mighty or monstrous animal. Much folklore has arisen around behemoth. One story has it that behemoth, separated from its aquatic counterpart leviathan at the dawn of creation, will be reunited with it in an epic battle on Judgment Day in which each will slay the other. Following this biblical King Kong vs. Godzilla match, both animals will be served up as a feast for the remaining faithful. Behemoth makes an appearance in such classics of literature as John Milton's Paradise Lost, Shelley's Prometheus Unbound, and James Joyce's Finnegans Wake. Today we use it to apply to anything large, powerful, and often unwieldy.
popular references for behemoth
— Behemoth: Thomas Hobbes's 1681 book on the English Civil Wars, from the Scottish revolution in 1637 to the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660. —Behemoth: A character in The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov. Behemoth is a walking, talking, gun-toting black cat, and a demon in disguise. —Behemoth: A Polish rock band, playing what's known as blackened death metal, a mix of black metal and thrash metal music. —The Behemoth: A video game development company, creators of the popular video games Alien Hominid (2004) and Castle Crashers (2008). — Behemoth: The second book in Scott Westerfield’s steampunk young adult series, published in 2010.
Quotations related to behemoth
"Whom the Hebrues call Bemoth that doth in latin playne expresse / A beast rude full of cursednesse. "
-John Lydgate Troy Book, II. xvii (1430)
"Behemoth, biggest born of earth. "
-John Milton Paradise Lost (1667)
"[T]he unwieldy behemoths of the old economy are falling over each other to reinvent their identities. "
-Oliver Burkeman If the name fits… Guardian (January 8, 2001)
Representatives of McDonald’s workers had asked Emanuel to recuse himself, citing Littler Mendelson’s legal work for McDonald’s as the fast-food behemoth sought to help franchisees fend off the protests over wages and unionization.
“Cover Up”: House Democrats Subpoena Documents That NLRB Refused to Share in Ethics Investigation|by Ian MacDougall|September 15, 2020|ProPublica
There is no need for our renewable energy transition to be subject to the constraints imposed by a fossil fuel behemoth.
The Franchise Agreement Ending Offers San Diego a Chance for a Fresh Start|Amanda Moser and Shauna McKenna|September 8, 2020|Voice of San Diego
The Elon Musk-led electric vehicle behemoth saw a 13% surge from bullish investors and traders on Monday following its 5-for-1 stock split— building on roaring momentum that’s seen the stock skyrocket 479% this year.
Tesla bulls dig in their hooves after company’s $5 billion capital raise announcement|Anne Sraders|September 1, 2020|Fortune
The talk of turning Mumbai into a global financial behemoth isn’t new, but little effort has been made to turn that dream into a reality.
What Mumbai needs to do to replace Hong Kong as Asia’s main financial hub|Prathamesh Mulye|July 19, 2020|Quartz
For the foreseeable future, we will all continue to work tirelessly to fight this behemoth virus.
How to speed up medical breakthroughs in the post-COVID world|jakemeth|July 15, 2020|Fortune
After all, his next project is naming a street for Josef Brodsky, an even more outspoken enemy of the Soviet behemoth.
From Moscow to Queens, Down Sergei Dovlatov Way|Daniel Genis|September 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Ours is the Caiman model, a 6x6 behemoth that weighs in at over 15 tons and makes Humvees shrivel up with feelings of inadequacy.
Why Does My Kids’ Elementary School Need a Tank?|Andy Hinds|September 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
What a demon, a behemoth, evil just seems to be seeping through him.
13 Celebrities Who Dissed Justin Bieber|Kevin Fallon|August 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But that quality got diluted as the site expanded into the behemoth it is today, he said.
Most Comments Are Horrible—Sites Look for Ways to Make Them Better|Jesse Singal|July 16, 2012|DAILY BEAST
This 678-page behemoth was self-published by De La Pava in 2008 and rediscovered in 2012.
This Week’s Hot Reads: May 7, 2012|Jimmy So|May 8, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Among the latter is a fine Hippopotamus, the Behemoth of Scripture.
The Mirror Of Literature, Amusement, And Instruction|Various
Assuming, therefore, that the Behemoth is identical with the hippopotamus, we will proceed with the description.
Bible Animals;|J. G. Wood
Really it is Behemoth and Leviathan he was called to deal with.
Demonology and Devil-lore|Moncure Daniel Conway
There was more, but big Butch scarcely saw it, bewildered as the behemoth Senior was; what new mystery had Hicks set afoot?
T. Haviland Hicks Senior|J. Raymond Elderdice
Behold now Behemoth, 319 which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox.
The Mosaic History of the Creation of the World|Thomas Wood
British Dictionary definitions for behemoth
behemoth
/ (bɪˈhiːmɒθ) /
noun
Old Testamenta gigantic beast, probably a hippopotamus, described in Job 40:15
a huge or monstrous person or thing
Word Origin for behemoth
C14: from Hebrew běhēmōth, plural of běhēmāh beast