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devil
[dev-uhl]
noun
Theology.Ģż
(sometimes initial capital letter)Ģżthe supreme spirit of evil; Satan.
a subordinate evil spirit at enmity with God, and having power to afflict humans both with bodily disease and with spiritual corruption.
an atrociously wicked, cruel, or ill-tempered person.
a person who is very clever, energetic, reckless, or mischievous.
a person, usually one in unfortunate or pitiable circumstances.
The poor devil kept losing jobs through no fault of his own.
Also called printer's devil.ĢżPrinting.Ģża young worker below the level of apprentice in a printing office.
any of various mechanical devices, as a machine for tearing rags, a machine for manufacturing wooden screws, etc.
Nautical.Ģż(in deck or hull planking) any of various seams difficult to caulk because of form or position.
any of various portable furnaces or braziers used in construction and foundry work.
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)
to annoy; harass; pester.
to devil Mom and Dad for a new car.
to tear (rags, cloth, etc.) with a devil.
Cooking.Ģżto prepare (food, usually minced) with hot or savory seasoning.
to devil eggs.
devil
/ Ė»åɱ¹É±ō /
noun
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
theol one of the subordinate evil spirits of traditional Jewish and Christian belief
a person or animal regarded as cruel, wicked, or ill-natured
a person or animal regarded as unfortunate or wretched
that poor devil was ill for months
a person or animal regarded as clever, daring, mischievous, or energetic
informalĢżsomething difficult or annoying
Christian Science the opposite of truth; an error, lie, or false belief in sin, sickness, and death
(in Malaysia) a ghost
a portable furnace or brazier, esp one used in road-making or one used by plumbers Compare salamander
any of various mechanical devices, usually with teeth, such as a machine for making wooden screws or a rag-tearing machine
See printer's devil
law (in England) a junior barrister who does work for another in order to gain experience, usually for a half fee
meteorol a small whirlwind in arid areas that raises dust or sand in a column
between equally undesirable alternatives
informalĢż(intensifier)
a devil of a fine horse
to acknowledge the talent or the success of an opponent or unpleasant person
to fail or become dissipated
(interjection) used to express annoyance with the person causing it
with great speed, determination, etc
informalĢżto make much worse; upset considerably
the damp plays the devil with my rheumatism
to cause a commotion
to make a great protest
(interjection) used when an absent person who has been the subject of conversation appears
(intensifier:)
used in such phrases as what the devil, where the devil, etc
an exclamation of anger, surprise, disgust, etc
a very difficult or problematic (thing)
look after oneself and leave others to their fate
problems or trouble to be faced as a consequence of an action
something very difficult or awkward
verb
(tr) to prepare (esp meat, poultry, or fish) by coating with a highly flavoured spiced paste or mixture of condiments before cooking
(tr) to tear (rags) with a devil
(intr) to serve as a printer's devil
(intr) to do hackwork, esp for a lawyer or author; perform arduous tasks, often without pay or recognition of one's services
informalĢż(tr) to harass, vex, torment, etc
Other 51³Ō¹Ļ Forms
- outdevil verb (used with object)
- subdevil noun
- underdevil noun
51³Ō¹Ļ History and Origins
Origin of devil1
51³Ō¹Ļ History and Origins
Origin of devil1
Idioms and Phrases
go to the devil,
to fail completely; lose all hope or chance of succeeding.
to become depraved.
(an expletive expressing annoyance, disgust, impatience, etc.)
raise the devil,
to cause a commotion or disturbance.
to celebrate wildly; revel.
to make an emphatic protest or take drastic measures.
devil of a, extremely difficult or annoying; hellish.
I had a devil of a time getting home through the snow.
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.
play the devil with, to ruin completely; spoil.
The financial crisis played the devil with our investment plans.
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.
the devil to pay, trouble to be faced; mischief in the offing.
If conditions don't improve, there will be the devil to pay.
between the devil and the deep (blue) sea, between two undesirable alternatives; in an unpleasant dilemma.
Example Sentences
āI think this caught on because itās like making a deviled egg but much easier,ā Choi told TODAY.com.
Magistrate Robert Webster agreed with the defence and found that the incident happened due to a dust devil - an upward spiralling vortex of air and debris - that was "unforeseen and unforeseeable".
President Trump ā the devil himself, to those roiling inside the hall ā was derided as a āpunk,ā āthe orange oligarch,ā a small-fisted bully, the āthing that sits in the White Houseā and assorted unprintable epithets.
āIām reading all about the devil,ā Miss Pickford confessed.
Thatās what made Brady Corbetās āVox Luxā ā which should be considered the preeminent examination of the contemporary pop star ā so beguiling: It saw fame as a Faustian pact with the devil.
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Ā© Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American HeritageĀ® Idioms Dictionary copyright Ā© 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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