devil

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English [edit]

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Etymology [edit]

From Old English dēofol, from Ancient Greek διάβολος (diabolos, “accuser, slanderer”), also as "Satan" (in Jewish/Christian usage, translating Biblical Hebrew שטן, satán), from διαβάλλω (diaballō, “to slander”), literally “to throw across”, from διά (dia, “through, across”) + βάλλω (ballō, “throw”). The Old English word was probably adopted under influence of Latin diabolus (itself from the Greek). Other Germanic languages adopted the word independently: compare Dutch duivel, Low German düvel, German Teufel, Swedish djävul (older: djefvul, Old Swedish diævul, Old Norse djǫfull).

Pronunciation [edit]

Noun [edit]

devil (plural devils)

  1. (theology) A creature of hell.
  2. (theology) (the devil or the Devil) The chief devil; Satan.
  3. The bad part of the conscience; the opposite to the angel.
    • The devil in me wants to let him suffer.
  4. A wicked or naughty person, or one who harbors reckless, spirited energy, especially in a mischievous way; usually said of a young child.
    • Those two kids are devils in a toy store.
  5. A thing that is awkward or difficult to understand or do.
    • That math problem was a devil.
  6. (euphemistically, with an article, as an intensifier) Hell.
    • What in the devil is that? What the devil is that?
    • She is having a devil of a time fixing it.
    • You can go to the devil for all I care.
  7. A person, especially a man; used to express a particular opinion of him, usually in the phrases poor devil and lucky devil.
  8. A dust devil.
  9. (religion, Christian Science) An evil or erring entity.
  10. (dialectical, places) barren, unproductive and unused, as in devil strip.[1][2]
  11. (cookery) A dish, as a bone with the meat, broiled and excessively peppered; a grill with Cayenne pepper.
    • Sir Walter Scott
      Men and women busy in baking, broiling, roasting oysters, and preparing devils on the gridiron.
  12. A machine for tearing or cutting rags, cotton, etc.

Synonyms [edit]

Antonyms [edit]

Derived terms [edit]

Terms derived from "devil"

Related terms [edit]

Translations [edit]

a creature of hell
the devil: the chief devil
bad part of the conscience
wicked or naughty person
thing that is awkward or difficult to understand
euphemistically, with an article: Hell (as an intensifier)
person, especially a man; used to express a particular opinion of him
dust devil — see dust devil
in Christian Science, an evil or erring entity
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked

Verb [edit]

devil (third-person singular simple present devils, present participle deviling or devilling, simple past and past participle deviled or devilled)

  1. To make like a devil; to invest with the character of a devil.
  2. To annoy or bother; to bedevil.
  3. To work as a ‘devil’; to work for a lawyer or writer without fee or recognition.
    • 1978, Lawrence Durrell, Livia, Faber & Faber 1992 (Avignon Quintet), p. 401:
      He did not repeat the scathing estimate of her character by Quatrefages, who at that time spent one afternoon a week devilling at the Consulate, keeping the petty-cash box in order.
  4. To grill with cayenne pepper; to season highly in cooking, as with pepper.
  5. To finely grind cooked ham or other meat with spices and condiments.
  6. To prepare a sidedish of shelled halved boiled eggs to whose extracted yolks are added condiments and spices, which mixture then is placed into the halved whites to be served.
    • She's going to devil four dozen eggs for the picnic.

Usage notes [edit]

  • UK usage doubles the l in the inflected forms "devilled" and "devilling"; US usage generally does not.

Synonyms [edit]

Derived terms [edit]

Translations [edit]

annoy or bother
grill with cayenne pepper

See also [edit]

References [edit]

  1. ^ Dictionary of Regional American English
  2. ^ Word Detective: Tales from the berm

Anagrams [edit]

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