hound

Similar to "beast," but rather than being a broad term for perpetrators of all kinds of uncivilized behavior, today's word is applied to those whose tenacity borders on the instinctual. Though this particular notion is rather strongly tied to centuries of human use of dogs for hunting, it has a definite dignity. This relentless pursuit on behalf of a human owner is a kind of immense loyalty and honor. That the pursuit is made possible by faculties of olfaction that no human will ever approach turns the tables on "beast," putting the animal on the pedestal and mankind in the dark. The use of the word as an insult is weaker, in that it is less descriptive, less tied down to any actual features of a hound, and presupposes that the listener accepts the role of dogs as inferior. "Beast," on the other hand, makes no such supposition, and savagely shoves the canine and all animals into one pejorative division with no regard for the opinions of the listener.