A.beast of prey, esp. a lion (so used in Cephallenia, Sch. Il.15.324), Il.15.586, etc.; ὁ Νέμειος θ. E.HF153: coupled with λέων, ib.465, Epimenid.2: with λέαινα, AP14.63.4 (Mesom.); of the wild boar, Ἐρυμάνθιος θ. S.Tr.1097; of Cerberus, Id.OC1569 (lyr.); ὁ θ., of a hind, Id.El.572: pl., generally, beasts, opp. birds and fishes, “ἠέ που ἐν πόντῳ φάγον ἰσθύες, ἢ ἐπὶ χέρσου θηρσὶ καὶ οἰωνοῖσιν ἕλωρ γένετ᾽” Od.24.291; “ἰχθύσι μὲν καὶ θηρσὶ καὶ οἰωνοῖς πετεηνοῖς” Hes.Op.277; “ἐν θηρσίν, ἐν βροτοῖσιν, ἐν θεοῖς ἄνω” S.Fr.941.12; “ἐν ἄγρῃ θηρῶν” Hdt. 3.129; “ἄφοβοι θῆρες” S.Aj.366: metaph., θῆρες ξιφήρεις, of Orestes and Pylades, E.Or.1272, cf. Ph.1296 (lyr.); ἡ σφοδρότης . . θηρός (sc. Ἔρωτος) Alex.245.12: prov., “ἔγνω θὴρ θῆρα” Arist.Rh.1371b16.
2. of any living creature, πλωτοὶ θῆρες, i.e. dolphins, Arion 1.5; of vermin killed by birds, Ar.Av.1064 (lyr.); of gnats, AP5.150 (Mel.); of the sacred animals in Egypt, “ἀρχιστολιστὴς θηρῶν” Sammelb.4011.4.
3. any fabulous monster, as the Sphinx, A.Th.558 codd.; esp. of a centaur, S.Tr.556, 568 (cf. φήρ); of Satyrs, E.Cyc.624; οὐ θεῶν τις οὐδ᾽ ἄνθρωπος οὐδὲ θ. A.Eu.70.—Less freq. than θηρίον in Prose, but found in Hdt. l.c. (v.l. θηρίων), X.Cyr.4.6.4, Pl.R.559d, Sph. 235a, Ael. l.c., etc.; “ἄγριοι θῆρες” Arist.EE1229a25. (I.-E. ĝh[uglide]ēr-, cf. φήρ, Lith. žvėrìs 'wild beast'.)