• Devil

    Pronunciation

    • enPR: dÄ•vʹəl, IPA: /ˈdÉ›vÉ™l/
    • Rhymes: -É›vÉ™l

    Origin

    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).

    Full definition of devil

    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 erring entity.
    10. (dialectical, in compounds) A barren, unproductive and unused area.Dictionary of Regional American EnglishWord Detective: Tales from the bermdevil strip
    11. (cookery) A dish, as a bone with the meat, broiled and excessively peppered; a grill with Cayenne pepper.
      • Sir Walter ScottMen 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

    Antonyms

    Related terms

    some * diabolo

    Verb

    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

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

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