Devil

Dev′il (dĕv′'l), n. [AS. deófol, deóful; akin to G. teufel, Goth. diabaúlus; all fr. L. diabolus the devil, Gr. διάβολος the devil, the slanderer, fr. διαβάλλειν to slander, calumniate, orig., to throw across; διά across + βάλλειν to throw, let fall, fall; cf. Skr. gal to fall. Cf. Diabolic.] 1. 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.

2. An evil spirit; a demon.

A dumb man possessed with a devil. Matt. ix. 32.

3. A very wicked person; hence, any great evil. "That devil Glendower." "The devil drunkenness." Shak.

Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? John vi. 70.

4. An expletive of surprise, vexation, or emphasis, or, ironically, of negation. [Low]

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.

5. (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.

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

Blue devils. See under Blue. — Cartesian devil. See under Cartesian. — Devil bird (Zoöl.), one of two or more South African drongo shrikes (Edolius retifer, and E. remifer), believed by the natives to be connected with sorcery. — Devil may care, reckless, defiant of authority; — used adjectively. Longfellow. — Devil's apron (Bot.), the large kelp (Laminaria saccharina, and L. longicruris) of the Atlantic ocean, having a blackish, leathery expansion, shaped somewhat like an apron. — Devil's coachhorse. (Zoöl.) (a) The black rove beetle (Ocypus olens). [Eng.] (b) A large, predacious, hemipterous insect (Prionotus cristatus); the wheel bug. [U.S.] — Devil's darning-needle. (Zoöl.) See under Darn, v. t. — Devil's fingers, Devil's hand (Zoöl.), the common British starfish (Asterias rubens); — also applied to a sponge with stout branches. [Prov. Eng., Irish & Scot.] — Devil's riding-horse (Zoöl.), the American mantis (Mantis Carolina). — The Devil's tattoo, a drumming with the fingers or feet. "Jack played the Devil's tattoo on the door with his boot heels." F. Hardman (Blackw. Mag.). — 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. — 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. "Without fearing the printer's devil or the sheriff's officer." Macaulay. — Tasmanian devil (Zoöl.), a very savage carnivorous marsupial of Tasmania (Dasyurus, or Diabolus, ursinus). — To play devil with, to molest extremely; to ruin. [Low]

Dev′il, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Deviled or Devilled; p. pr. & vb. n. Deviling or Devilling.] 1. To make like a devil; to invest with the character of a devil.

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

A deviled leg of turkey. W. Irving.