devil

== English == === Alternative forms === davil, debbil (pronunciation spelling) diuel, divel, divil (dialectal or archaic) deuill, devel, devell, devill, diuell (obsolete) === Etymology === From Middle English devil, devel, deovel, from Old English dēofol, from Proto-West Germanic *diubul, from Latin diabolus, ultimately from Ancient Greek διάβολος (diábolos, “false accuser, slanderer”), also as "Satan" (in Jewish/Christian usage, translating Biblical Hebrew שָׂטָן (śātān)), from διαβάλλω (diabállō, “to slander”), literally “to throw across”, from διά (diá, “through, across”) + βάλλω (bállō, “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 Saterland Frisian Düüwel (“devil”), West Frisian duvel (“devil”), Dutch duivel, duvel (“devil”), German Low German Düvel (“devil”), German Teufel (“devil”), Bavarian Teifl (“devil”), Danish djævel (“devil”), Swedish djävul (“devil”) (older: djefvul, Old Swedish diævul, Old Norse djǫfull). Doublet of diable, diablo, and diabolus. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈdɛvəl/, [ˈdɛvəl] ~ [ˈdɛvl̩] IPA(key): /ˈdɛvɪl/, [ˈdɛvɪl] (rare, dated) Rhymes: -ɛvəl Hyphenation: dev‧il === Proper noun === the devil (theology) The chief devil; Satan. Synonyms: see Thesaurus:Satan Antonym: God ==== Alternative forms ==== Devil ==== Translations ==== === Noun === devil (plural devils) (theology) An evil creature, the objectification of a hostile and destructive force. Synonym: demon Antonyms: angel, god (folklore) A man with red or orange skin and a pair of horns on his head, a pointed goatee, and a long tail, who carries a pitchfork, represents evil, and is portrayed to children as a boogeyman who punishes bad behavior. The bad part of the conscience; the opposite to the angel. Antonyms: angel, conscience A wicked or naughty person, or one who harbors reckless, spirited energy, especially in a mischievous way; usually said of a young child. Synonyms: imp, rascal, scamp, scoundrel Antonyms: angel, saint A thing that is awkward or difficult to understand or do. Synonyms: bastard, bitch, (UK) bugger, stinker Antonyms: (US) cakewalk, piece of cake (euphemistic, with an article, as an intensifier) Hell. Synonyms: (euphemistic) deuce, (euphemistic) dickens, (vulgar) fuck, heck, hell A person, especially a man; used to express a particular opinion of him, usually in the phrases poor devil and lucky devil. Synonyms: (UK) bugger, (used of a woman) cow, (UK) sod A printer's assistant. Synonym: printer's devil (India) A poltergeist that haunts printing works. A dust devil. (dialectal, in compounds) A barren, unproductive and unused area. (cooking) A dish, as a bone with the meat, broiled and excessively peppered; a grill with Cayenne pepper. A machine for tearing or cutting rags, cotton, etc., as used in the production of mungo or shoddy. A Tasmanian devil. 1999, Julia Leigh, The Hunter, Faber & Faber 2012, p. 32: He removes his food, water, and torch from the pack and then pushes it to the far end of the tent – no devil is going to rip his pack apart tonight. (cycling, slang) An endurance event where riders who fall behind are periodically eliminated. (nautical) Ellipsis of devil seam (“the seam between garboard strake and the keel, on wooden boats”). Coordinate terms: between the devil and the deep blue sea, devil to pay ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== diabolo diablo ==== Descendants ==== Tok Pisin: tewel → Chuukese: tefin ==== Translations ==== === Verb === devil (third-person singular simple present devils, present participle (US) deviling or (UK) devilling, simple past and past participle (US) deviled or (UK) devilled) To make like a devil; to invest with the character of a devil. To annoy or bother. Synonyms: bedevil; see also Thesaurus:annoy (intransitive) To work as a ‘devil’; to work for a lawyer or writer without fee or recognition. To ghostwrite; to author while working as a ‘devil’. To prepare (food) with spices, making it spicy: (Can we verify(+) this sense?) To finely grind (cooked ham or other meat) with spices and condiments. To prepare (shelled halved boiled eggs, as a sidedish) by removing the yolks, adding condiments and spices to them, and placing that mixture back into (the halved eggs' whites) to be served. To shred fabric into its fibres for recycling, as in the production of mungo or shoddy. ==== Usage notes ==== UK usage doubles the l in the inflected forms "devilled" and "devilling"; US usage generally does not. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === See also === === References === === Further reading === devil on Wikipedia.Wikipedia === Anagrams === divel, lived, vilde, viled == Middle English == === Noun === devil alternative form of devel