Etymology : Middle English, from Old French, from Late Latin creatura, from Latin creatus, past participle of creare
Pronunciation : 'krE-ch&r
Function : noun
Date : 14th century
1. living being (human or animal); something created. creature\crea"ture\ (kr?"t?r; 135), n. [f. cr ature, l. creatura. see:
create.].
2. anything created; anything not self-existent; especially, any being created with life; an animal; a man. he asked water, a creature so common and needful that it was against the law of nature to deny him. god's first creature was light. on earth, join, all ye creatures, to extol him first, him last, him midst, and without end. and most attractive is the fair result of thought, the creature of a polished mind.
3. a human being, in pity, contempt, or endearment; as, a poor creature; a pretty creature. the world hath not a sweeter creature.
4. a person who owes his rise and fortune to another; a servile dependent; an instrument; a tool. a creature of the queen's, lady anne bullen. both charles himself and his creature, laud.
5. a general term among farmers for horses, oxen, etc.creature comforts, those which minister to the comfort of the body.creature n.
6. a living organism characterized by voluntary movement [syn: animal, animate being, beast, brute, fauna].
7. a human being; `wight' is an archaic term [syn: wight].
8. a person who is used to perform unpleasant or dishonest tasks for someone else [syn: tool, puppet]creature denotes the whole creation in rom. 8:39; col. 1:15; rev. 5:13; the whole human race in mark 16:15; rom. 8:19.
9. the living creatures in ezek. 10:15, 17, are imaginary beings, symbols of the divine attributes and operations.
10. Anything created; anything not self-existent; especially, any being created with life; an animal; a man.
11. A human being, in pity, contempt, or endearment; as, a poor creature; a pretty creature.
12. A person who owes his rise and fortune to another; a servile dependent; an instrument; a tool.
13. A general term among farmers for horses, oxen, etc. a human being; `wight' is an archaic term a person who is controlled by others and is used to perform unpleasant or dishonest tasks for someone else.
14. 1. You can refer to any living thing that is not a plant as a creature, especially when it is of an unknown or unfamiliar kind. People also refer to imaginary animals and beings as creatures. Alaskan Eskimos believe that every living creature possesses a spirit The garden is surrounded by a hedge in which many small creatures can live = being.
15. If you say that someone is a particular type of creature, you are focusing on a particular quality they have. She's charming, a sweet creature She was a creature of the emotions, rather than reason. a creature of habit: see:
habit.