devil

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Contents 1 English 1.1 Etymology 1.2 Pronunciation 1.3 Noun 1.3.1 Synonyms 1.3.2 Antonyms 1.3.3 Derived terms 1.3.4 Related terms 1.3.5 Translations 1.4 Verb 1.4.1 Usage notes 1.4.2 Synonyms 1.4.3 Derived terms 1.4.4 Translations 1.5 See also

[edit] English

Wikipedia

[edit] Etymology

From Old English dēofol, from Ancient Greek διάβολος (diabolos), “‘accuser, slanderer’”), also as "Satan" (in Jewish/Christian usage, translating Biblical Hebrew שטן), from διαβάλλειν ‘to slander’, literally ‘to throw across’, from διά ‘through, across’ + βάλλειν ‘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, German Teufel, Swedish djävul (older: djefvul).

[edit] Pronunciation

• enPR: dĕvʹəl, IPA: /ˈdɛvəl/, SAMPA: /"dEv@l/
•  Audio (US)^{help, file}
• Rhymes: -ɛvəl

[edit] Noun

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 erroneous entity.

[edit] Synonyms

• (a creature of hell): demon
• (the chief devil): Satan, Beelzebub, Mephistopheles, Old Nick, Old Scratch (UK & US), old-gooseberry, old gentleman
• (thing awkward or difficult to understand or do): bastard, bitch, bugger (UK), stinker
• (wicked or naughty person): imp, rascal, scamp, scoundrel
• (as a euphemistic intensifier): deuce (euphemistic), dickens (euphemistic), fuck (only in senses with the; taboo slang), heck, hell
• (a person, especially a man (as in "poor devil")): bugger (UK), cow (used of a woman), sod (UK)

[edit] Antonyms

• (a creature of hell): angel, god
• (the chief devil): God
• (the bad part of the conscience): angel, conscience
• (thing awkward or difficult to understand): cakewalk (US), piece of cake, simplicity itself
• (wicked or naughty person'): angel, saint

[edit] Derived terms

[edit] Related terms

• diabolo
• diablo

[edit] Translations

[edit] Verb

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

1. To annoy or bother; to bedevil.
2. To grill with cayenne pepper; to season highly in cooking, as with pepper.
3. To finely grind cooked ham or other meat with spices and condiments.
4. To prepare a sidedish of shelled halved boiled eggs to whose extracted yokes 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.

[edit] Usage notes

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

[edit] Synonyms

• (annoy or bother): annoy, bedevil, bother, irk, irritate, pester, trouble, peeve

[edit] Derived terms

• deviled egg, devilled egg
• deviled ham, devilled ham

[edit] Translations

[edit] See also

• angel
• demon
• enemy
• Lucifer
• Satan
• Ravana