Devil
Pronunciation
- enPR: dĕvʹəl, IPA: /ˈdɛvəl/
- Rhymes: -ɛvəl
Origin
From Old English dÄ“ofol, from Ancient Greek διάβολος (diabolos, "accuser, slanderer"), also as "Satan" (in Jewish/Christian usage, translating Biblical Hebrew שטן, satán), from διαβάλλω (diaballÅ, "to slander"), literally “to throw acrossâ€, from διά (dia, "through, across") + βάλλω (ballÅ, "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 djÇ«full).
Full definition of devil
Noun
devil
(plural devils)- (theology) A creature of hell.
- (theology) (the devil or the Devil) The chief devil; Satan.
- The bad part of the conscience; the opposite to the angel.
- The devil in me wants to let him suffer.
- 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.
- A thing that is awkward or difficult to understand or do.
- That math problem was a devil.
- (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.
- A person, especially a man; used to express a particular opinion of him, usually in the phrases poor devil and lucky devil.
- A dust devil.
- (religion, Christian Science) An evil or erring entity.
- (dialectical, in compounds) A barren, unproductive and unused area.Dictionary of Regional American EnglishWord Detective: Tales from the bermdevil strip
- (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.
- A machine for tearing or cutting rags, cotton, etc.
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)
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
Derived terms
Verb
- To make like a devil; to invest with the character of a devil.
- To annoy or bother; to bedevil.
- 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.
- To grill with cayenne pepper; to season highly in cooking, as with pepper.
- To finely grind cooked ham or other meat with spices and condiments.
- 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.