1. a medieval collection of stories and descriptions about real and mythical animals, often with moral lessons
Usage: historical
2. any collection or catalog of animals, especially exotic or fantastical ones

Examples

• The medieval bestiary included descriptions of unicorns and dragons alongside real animals like lions.
• Each entry in the bestiary contained a moral lesson drawn from the animal’s supposed behavior.
• The illuminated bestiary featured beautiful artwork depicting both familiar and mythical creatures.
• Modern fantasy games often draw inspiration from creatures found in ancient bestiaries.
• The museum’s bestiary exhibit showcased manuscripts from the 12th century.
• Her novel reads like a bestiary of imaginary beasts from distant worlds.