θηρίο

Etymology: From Ancient Greek θηρίον (thēríon), diminutive of θήρ (thḗr, 'wild animal, beast'). The English word 'therion' (a beast in apocalyptic literature) comes from the same root, as do scientific terms like 'megatherium' (extinct giant sloth) and the suffix '-therium' used in paleontology for many prehistoric mammals. The root is also related to English words with the 'ther-' element, such as 'therapy' (originally meaning 'to attend to').