The kanji 獣 represents "beast," "animal," or "wild animal." It refers to creatures that are typically wild and not domesticated, often characterized by their natural, untamed behavior. The core meaning centers around the concept of animals, particularly those of the wild, and their inherent qualities.

・On-yomi (音読み): ジュウ (jū) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): けもの (kemono)

⚫︎獣医 Translation: Veterinarian. ⚫︎猛獣 Translation: Fierce beast, ferocious animal. ⚫︎獣道 Translation: Animal trail; game trail.

The kanji 獣 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字). The left side is the radical 犬 (いぬ, inu), which means "dog" and serves as the semantic component, indicating that the character relates to animals. The right side is a phonetic component, adding sound to the meaning. Together, these components create the character for "beast" or "animal."