Devil

Definition of Devil

Dev´il

The Evil One; Satan, represented as the tempter and spiritual of mankind.

[Jesus] being forty days tempted of the devil.

- Luke iv. 2.

That old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world.

- Rev. xii. 9.

An evil spirit; a demon.

A dumb man possessed with a devil.

- Matt. ix. 32.

A very wicked person; hence, any great evil.

Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?

- John vi. 70.

An expletive of surprise, vexation, or emphasis, or, ironically, of negation.

The devil a puritan that he is, . . . but a timepleaser.

- Shak.

The things, we know, are neither rich nor rare,
But wonder how the devil they got there.

- Pope.

(Cookery) A dish, as a bone with the meat, broiled and excessively peppered; a grill with Cayenne pepper.

Men and women busy in baking, broiling, roasting oysters, and preparing devils on the gridiron.

- Sir W. Scott.

(Manuf.) A machine for tearing or cutting rags, cotton, etc.

Blue devils
See under Blue.

Cartesian devil
See under Cartesian.

Devil bird
(Zool.) one of two or more South African drongo shrikes (Edolius retifer, and Edolius remifer), believed by the natives to be connected with sorcery.

Devil may care
reckless, defiant of authority; - used adjectively.

Devil's apron
(Bot.) the large kelp (Laminaria saccharina, and Laminaria longicruris) of the Atlantic ocean, having a blackish, leathery expansion, shaped somewhat like an apron. - Longfellow.

Devil's coachhorse
a -	(Zool.) The black rove beetle (Ocypus olens).
b -	A large, predacious, hemipterous insect (Prionotus cristatus); the wheel bug.

Devil's darning-needle
(Zool.) See under Darn, v. t.

Devil's fingers
(Zool.) the common British starfish (Asterias rubens); - also applied to a sponge with stout branches.

Devil's riding-horse
(Zool.) the American mantis (Mantis Carolina).

The Devil's tattoo
a drumming with the fingers or feet.

Devil worship
worship of the power of evil; - still practiced by barbarians who believe that the good and evil forces of nature are of equal power. - F. Hardman (Blackw. Mag.).

Printer's devil
the youngest apprentice in a printing office, who runs on errands, does dirty work (as washing the ink rollers and sweeping), etc.

Tasmanian devil
(Zool.) a very savage carnivorous marsupial of Tasmania (Dasyurus ursinus syn. Diabolus ursinus). - Macaulay.

To play devil with
to molest extremely; to ruin.

v. t.

To make like a devil; to invest with the character of a devil.

[imp. & p. p. Deviled or Devilled; p. pr. & vb. n. Deviling or Devilling.]

To grill with Cayenne pepper; to season highly in cooking, as with pepper.

A deviled leg of turkey.

- W. Irving.

Related Words

Abaddon, Apollyon, Baba Yaga, Beelzebub, Belial, Bowery bum, Lilith, Linotyper, Lucifer, Mafioso, Mephistopheles, Old Nick, Old Scratch, Satan, Succubus, Xanthippe, Young Turk, adventurer, adventuress, adversary, afreet, aggravate, annoy, antagonist, ape-man, apprentice printer, archenemy, bad boy, badger, bait, bake, barbarian, barbecue, barghest, baste, be at, beachcomber, beast, bedevil, beggar, beggarly fellow, beldam, berserk, berserker, beset, bitter enemy, blackguard, blanch, blighter, bloke, boil, bomber, booger, bother, braise, bravo, brazenface, brew, bristle, broil, brown, brown off, brute, bucko, budmash, buffoon, bug, bugger, bully, bullyboy, bullyrag, bum, bummer, burn up, cacodemon, caitiff, chap, chivy, coddle, compositor, con artist, con man, confidence man, confoundedly, cook, crone, curry, cutthroat, cutup, daeva, daredevil, demon, derelict, desperado, deuce, deucedly, devil incarnate, diablo, discompose, distemper, disturb, do, do to perfection, dog, dragon, drifter, drunkard, dust storm, dybbuk, electrotyper, elf, enemy, enfant terrible, evil genius, evil spirit, exasperate, exceedingly, excessively, exercise, extremely, fash, fellow, fiend, fiend from hell, fire, fire-eater, firebrand, foe, foeman, fox, fricassee, frizz, frizzle, fry, funmaker, fury, genie, genius, get, ghoul, good-for-naught, good-for-nothing, goon, gorilla, griddle, grill, gripe, gunman, gunsel, guy, gyre, hag, harass, hardnose, harmattan, harpy, harry, harum-scarum, heat, heckle, hector, hell-raiser, hellcat, hellhound, hellion, hellkite, hobo, holy terror, hood, hoodlum, hooligan, hothead, hotspur, hound, human wreck, imp, in hell, in the world, incendiary, incubus, irk, jinni, jinniyeh, joker, jokester, keyboarder, khamsin, killer, knave, lamia, limb, little devil, little monkey, little rascal, lowlife, mad dog, madbrain, madcap, makeup man, mauvais sujet, mean wretch, miff, minx, mischief, mischief-maker, molest, monster, mucker, mugger, nag, needle, nettle, no-good, nudzh, ogre, ogress, open enemy, operator, oven-bake, pan, pan-broil, parboil, pauvre diable, peesash, peeve, persecute, person, pester, pick on, pilgarlic, pique, pixie, plague, pluck the beard, poach, poor creature, poor devil, pother, practical joker, prankster, precious rascal, prepare, prepare food, pressman, printer, proofer, provoke, public enemy, puck, rake, rakehell, rakshasa, rantipole, rapist, rapscallion, rascal, revolutionary, ride, rile, roast, rogue, roil, rough, rowdy, ruffian, ruffle, sad case, sad sack, samiel, sandstorm, satan, saute, savage, scalawag, scallop, scamp, scapegrace, scoundrel, sear, serpent, shaitan, she-wolf, shedu, shirr, shrew, shyster, simmer, simoom, sirocco, skid-row bum, sly dog, slyboots, smoothie, sneak, sod, spalpeen, speedily, spitfire, steam, stereotyper, stew, stiff, stir-fry, stoneman, succubus, sundowner, swagman, sworn enemy, tease, termagant, terror, terrorist, the undead, thug, tiger, tigress, toast, torment, tough, tough guy, tramp, trickster, truant, try the patience, tweak the nose, typesetter, typographer, ugly customer, unfortunate, vag, vagabond, vagrant, vampire, vaurien, vex, villain, violent, violently, virago, vixen, wag, wastrel, werewolf, wild beast, wild man, witch, wolf, worry, worthless fellow, wretch, yogini

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Development theory
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deviation
Deviation of a falling body
Deviation of the compass
Deviation of the line of the vertical
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-Devil-
Devil bird
Devil may care
Devil ray
Devil worship
Devil's apron
Devil's coachhorse
Devil's darning-needle
Devil's fingers
Devil's riding-horse
Devil-diver
devil-may-care
deviled egg
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Devilism
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