devil

[ dev-uhl ]

noun

1. Theology.
   1. (sometimes initial capital letter) the supreme spirit of evil; Satan.
   2. a subordinate evil spirit at enmity with God, and having power to afflict humans both with bodily disease and with spiritual corruption.
2. an atrociously wicked, cruel, or ill-tempered person.
3. a person who is very clever, energetic, reckless, or mischievous.
4. a person, usually one in unfortunate or pitiable circumstances:

   The poor devil kept losing jobs through no fault of his own.

5. Also called printer's devil. Printing. a young worker below the level of apprentice in a printing office.
6. any of various mechanical devices, as a machine for tearing rags, a machine for manufacturing wooden screws, etc.
7. Nautical. (in deck or hull planking) any of various seams difficult to caulk because of form or position.
8. any of various portable furnaces or braziers used in construction and foundry work.
9. the devil, (used as an emphatic expletive or mild oath to express disgust, anger, astonishment, negation, etc.):

   What the devil do you mean by that?

verb (used with object)

, dev·iled, dev·il·ing or (especially British) dev·illed, dev·il·ling.

1. to annoy; harass; pester:

   to devil Mom and Dad for a new car.

2. to tear (rags, cloth, etc.) with a devil.
3. Cooking. to prepare (food, usually minced) with hot or savory seasoning:

   to devil eggs.

devil

/ ˈdɛvəl /

noun

1. theol often capital the chief spirit of evil and enemy of God, often represented as the ruler of hell and often depicted as a human figure with horns, cloven hoofs, and tail
2. theol one of the subordinate evil spirits of traditional Jewish and Christian belief
3. a person or animal regarded as cruel, wicked, or ill-natured
4. a person or animal regarded as unfortunate or wretched

   that poor devil was ill for months

5. a person or animal regarded as clever, daring, mischievous, or energetic
6. informal.
   something difficult or annoying
7. Christian Science the opposite of truth; an error, lie, or false belief in sin, sickness, and death
8. (in Malaysia) a ghost
9. a portable furnace or brazier, esp one used in road-making or one used by plumbers Compare salamander
10. any of various mechanical devices, usually with teeth, such as a machine for making wooden screws or a rag-tearing machine
11. See printer's devil
12. law (in England) a junior barrister who does work for another in order to gain experience, usually for a half fee
13. meteorol a small whirlwind in arid areas that raises dust or sand in a column
14. between the devil and the deep blue sea
    between equally undesirable alternatives
15. devil of informal.
    (intensifier)

    a devil of a fine horse

16. give the devil his due
    to acknowledge the talent or the success of an opponent or unpleasant person
17. go to the devil
    1. to fail or become dissipated
    2. interjection used to express annoyance with the person causing it
18. like the devil
    with great speed, determination, etc
19. play the devil with informal.
    to make much worse; upset considerably

    the damp plays the devil with my rheumatism

20. raise the devil
    1. to cause a commotion
    2. to make a great protest
21. talk of the devil! or speak of the devil!
    interjection used when an absent person who has been the subject of conversation appears
22. the devil!
    intensifier:
    1. used in such phrases as what the devil, where the devil, etc
    2. an exclamation of anger, surprise, disgust, etc
23. the devil's own
    a very difficult or problematic (thing)
24. the devil take the hindmost or let the devil take the hindmost
    look after oneself and leave others to their fate
25. the devil to pay
    problems or trouble to be faced as a consequence of an action
26. the very devil
    something very difficult or awkward

verb

1. tr to prepare (esp meat, poultry, or fish) by coating with a highly flavoured spiced paste or mixture of condiments before cooking
2. tr to tear (rags) with a devil
3. intr to serve as a printer's devil
4. intr to do hackwork, esp for a lawyer or author; perform arduous tasks, often without pay or recognition of one's services
5. informal.
   tr to harass, vex, torment, etc

devil

1. A bad or fallen angel . ( See Satan .)

Other Words From

• outdevil verb (used with object) outdeviled outdeviling or (especially British) outdevilled outdevilling
• sub·devil noun
• under·devil noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of devil¹

before 900; Middle English devel, Old English dēofol < Late Latin diabolus < Greek diábolos Satan (Septuagint, NT), literally, slanderer (noun), slanderous (adj.), verbid of diabállein to assault someone's character, literally, to throw across, equivalent to dia- dia- + bállein to throw

Word History and Origins

Origin of devil¹

Old English dēofol, from Latin diabolus, from Greek diabolos enemy, accuser, slanderer, from diaballein, literally: to throw across, hence, to slander

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. between the devil and the deep (blue) sea, between two undesirable alternatives; in an unpleasant dilemma.
2. devil of a, extremely difficult or annoying; hellish:

   I had a devil of a time getting home through the snow.

3. give the devil his due, to give deserved credit even to a person one dislikes:

   To give the devil his due, you must admit that she is an excellent psychologist.

4. go to the devil,
   1. to fail completely; lose all hope or chance of succeeding.
   2. to become depraved.
   3. (an expletive expressing annoyance, disgust, impatience, etc.)
5. let the devil take the hindmost, to leave the least able or fortunate persons to suffer adverse consequences; leave behind or to one's fate:

   They ran from the pursuing mob and let the devil take the hindmost.

6. play the devil with, to ruin completely; spoil:

   The financial crisis played the devil with our investment plans.

7. raise the devil,
   1. to cause a commotion or disturbance.
   2. to celebrate wildly; revel.
   3. to make an emphatic protest or take drastic measures.
8. the devil to pay, trouble to be faced; mischief in the offing:

   If conditions don't improve, there will be the devil to pay.

More idioms and phrases containing devil

• between a rock and a hard place (devil and deep blue sea)
• full of it (the devil)
• give someone hell (the devil)
• give the devil his due
• go to hell (the devil)
• luck of the devil
• play the devil with
• raise Cain (the devil)
• speak of the devil

Example Sentences

Air traffic control systems handling the flight were confused by a duplicate code - DVL - representing both Deauville in France and Devil's Lake in North Dakota, USA.

From BBC

Holland, also 28, played the lead role in Billy Elliot the Musical in the West End as a child, and has since appeared in Uncharted, Cherry and The Devil All The Time.

From BBC

It's the 15th time the Red Devils have kept five or more clean sheets in their opening 11 Premier League games.

From BBC

For Halloween, Elsbeth spends the entirety of “Devil’s Night” trying to prove a former child star is innocent of murder, all while dressed as Audrey Hepburn’s character in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.”

From Los Angeles Times

The Red Devils need a new manager after sacking Erik ten Hag on Monday.

From BBC