devil
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: enpr: dĕvʹəl
ipa: /ˈdɛvəl/
enpr: dĕvʹîl
ipa: /ˈdɛvɪl/
rhymes: -ɛvəl
Forms: form: devils
form: davil
form: debbil
form: diuel
form: divel
form: deuill
form: devel
form: devell
form: devill
form: diuell
Etymology: Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁
Proto-Indo-European *dwísder.
Ancient Greek διά (diá)
Ancient Greek δια- (dia-)
Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH-der.
Ancient Greek βᾰ́λλω (bắllō)
Ancient Greek διαβάλλω (diabállō)
Ancient Greek διάβολος (diábolos)bor.
Latin diabolusbor.
Proto-West Germanic *diubul
Old English dēofol
Middle English devel
English devil
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.
Senses: topics: lifestyle
religion
theology
synonyms: demon
antonyms: angel
god
glosses: An evil creature, the objectification of a hostile and destructive force.
topics: arts
folklore
history
human-sciences
literature
media
publishing
sciences
glosses: A fictional image of a man, usually red or orange in skin color; with a set of horns on his head, a pointed goatee and a long tail and carrying a pitchfork; that represents evil and portrayed to children in an effort to discourage bad behavior.
examples: text: The devil in me wants to let him suffer.
antonyms: angel
conscience
glosses: The bad part of the conscience; the opposite to the angel.
examples: text: Those two kids are devils in a toy store.
synonyms: imp
rascal
scamp
scoundrel
antonyms: angel
saint
glosses: A wicked or naughty person, or one who harbors reckless, spirited energy, especially in a mischievous way; usually said of a young child.
examples: text: That math problem was a devil.
synonyms: word: bastard
word: bitch
word: bugger
word: stinker
antonyms: word: cakewalk
word: piece of cake
glosses: A thing that is awkward or difficult to understand or do.
examples: text: What in the devil is that?
text: What the devil is that?
text: She is having a devil of a time fixing it.
text: You can go to the devil for all I care.
synonyms: word: deuce
word: dickens
word: fuck
word: heck
word: hell
glosses: Hell.
raw_tags: as an intensifier
with an article
synonyms: word: bugger
word: cow
english: used of a woman
translation: used of a woman
word: sod
glosses: A person, especially a man; used to express a particular opinion of him, usually in the phrases poor devil and lucky devil.
examples: text: For he will not leave his listener to dwell upon sorrow when the print office beckons and he can show you what a good little devil he became.
ref: 2010, Andrea Levy, The Long Song, Tinder Press (2017), page 381:
synonyms: printer's devil
glosses: A printer's assistant.
glosses: A poltergeist that haunts printing works.
examples: text: The formation of tornados and water-spouts is very probably identical with that of dust-storms and "devils," viz., a sudden disturbance of the vertical equilibrium of the atmosphere, where by an upward rush of air is generated, which rapidly becomes spiral.
ref: 1877, H. F. Blandford, Indian Meteorologist's Vade-mecum, page 140:
text: There are few sights more appalling than a sandstorm in the desert, the "Zauba'ah" as the Arabs call it. Devils, or pillars of sand, vertical and inclined, measuring a thousand feet high[.]
ref: 1885, Richard F. Burton, chapter XII, in The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, volume I, The Burton Club, page 114 footnote:
glosses: A dust devil.
examples: text: devil strip
glosses: A barren, unproductive and unused area.
examples: text: Men and women busy in baking, broiling, roasting oysters, and preparing devils on the gridiron.
ref: 1815 February 24, [Walter Scott], Guy Mannering; or, The Astrologer. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […]; and Archibald Constable and Co., […], →OCLC:
topics: cooking
food
lifestyle
glosses: A dish, as a bone with the meat, broiled and excessively peppered; a grill with Cayenne pepper.
examples: text: The woollen things are torn to pieces by a machine having spiked rollers (termed a devil), cleansed, and the fibre spun with a certain proportion of new wool, the yarn being afterwards woven into the full-bodied but flimsy fabric termed shoddy.
ref: 1918, Henry J. Spooner, Wealth from Waste: Elimination of Waste A World Problem, George Routledge & Sons, →ISBN, →OCLC, →OL, page 200:
glosses: A machine for tearing or cutting rags, cotton, etc., as used in the production of mungo or shoddy.
examples: text: 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.
ref: 1999, Julia Leigh, The Hunter, Faber & Faber 2012, p. 32
text: In the 1800s, for example, workers at a wool company were scared that the devils would attack their sheep.
ref: 2008, Joyce L. Markovics, Tasmanian Devil: Nighttime Scavenger, page 8:
glosses: A Tasmanian devil.
topics: cycling
hobbies
lifestyle
sports
glosses: An endurance event where riders who fall behind are periodically eliminated.
topics: nautical
transport
coordinate_terms: between the devil and the deep blue sea
devil to pay
glosses: Ellipsis of devil seam (“the seam between garboard strake and the keel, on wooden boats”).
Derived terms: sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: archdevil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: be a devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: bedevil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: better the devil you know
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: better the devil you know than the devil you don't
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: better the devil you know than the devil you don't know
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: better the devil you know than the one you don't
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: better the devil you know than the one you don't know
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: between the devil and the deep blue sea
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: blue devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: blue devils
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: Cartesian devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: cast out the Devil with Beelzebub
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: dance with the devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: daredevil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: deal with the devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: demidevil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil a bit
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil bird
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil chase
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil dance
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil dancer
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil dancing
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil dodger
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil dog
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devildom
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: deviled
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: deviled egg
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: deviled ham
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: deviless
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devilet
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devilette
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil facial tumor disease
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil frog
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil grass
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil-in-a-bush
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil-in-a-mist
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil in disguise
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: deviling
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil in music
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil in one's eyes
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil-in-the-bush
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil is beating his wife and marrying his daughter
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devilish
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil is in the details
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil is kissing his wife
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devilism
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devility
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devilize
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devilkin
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devilkind
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devilled
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devilled egg
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devilled ham
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devilled sausages
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devilless
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil lies in the details
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devillike
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devillish
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil-lore
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil-may-care
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devilment
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil negation
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devilock
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil-on-the-neck
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil ray
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil-ridden
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devilry
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's advocate
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's antlers
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's apple
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's beating his wife
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's bit
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: Devil's bolete
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's books
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's bread
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: Devil's Bridge
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: Devil's Broom fire
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: Devil's buttermilk
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's candle
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's claws
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's coach-horse
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's corkscrew
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's cotton
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil screecher
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's cucumber
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's dandruff
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's darning needle
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's doorbell
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's dozen
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's dung
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's dust
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: Devil's Dyke
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil seam
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's fig
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's finger
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's flute
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's food cake
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's garden
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's gold
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's grip
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's hand
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's herb
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devilship
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's horse
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil sign
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's interval
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: Devil's Island
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's ivy
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: Devils Lake
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's lane
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's lettuce
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's luck
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil smoke
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's nettle
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: Devil's Night
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devilsome
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devils on horseback
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's own
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's paintbrush
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's picture books
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's proof
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's purse
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: Devil's Rings
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's ropes
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: Devil's Sea
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's shoestring
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's snuffbox
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's staircase
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's strip
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's tattoo
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's threesome
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil stick
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil sticks
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's toenail
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's tongue
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: Devil's Tower
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: Devil's Triangle
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil strip
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's trumpet
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's vine
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's walking stick
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil's wheel
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil take the hindmost
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil to pay
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil to pay, and no pitch hot
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: deviltry
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devil wagon
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devilward
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: devilwood
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: dirt devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: dust devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: firedevil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: fire-devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: fire devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: folk devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: foreign devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: full of the devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: give the devil his due
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: go-devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: go to the devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: handsome devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: hay devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: he-devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: he who sups with the devil should have a long spoon
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: hickory horned devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: how the devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: idle hands are the devil's playthings
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: idle hands are the devil's tools
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: idle hands are the devil's workshop
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: idle hands make work for the devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: idle hands make work for the Devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: Jersey Devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: kill-devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: kill devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: let the devil out
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: luck of the devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: lucky devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: mountain devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: native devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: needs must when the devil drives
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: noonday devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: outdevil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: play the devil with
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: poor devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: printer's devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: pull the devil by the tail
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: raise the devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: red devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: Red Devils
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: ring the devil's doorbell
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: scary devil monastery
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: sea devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: seadevil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: sell one's soul to the devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: sell one's soul to the Devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: Seven Devils
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: she-devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: shoulder devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: silver-tongued devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: snow devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: soot devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: speak of the devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: speak of the devil and he appears
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: speak of the devil and he shall appear
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: steam devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: subdevil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: talk of the devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: Tasmanian devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: Tassie devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: Tazzie devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: tell the truth and shame the devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: the devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: the devil a one
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: the devil finds work for idle hands
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: the Devil finds work for idle hands
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: the devil has all the best tunes
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: the devil is a liar
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: the devil is in the detail
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: the devil is in the details
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: the devil looks after his own
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: the Devil makes work for idle hands
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: the devil makes work for idle hands
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: the devil takes care of his own
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: the devil we know is better than the devil we don't
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: the devil we know is better than the devil we don't know
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: the devil you know
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: the devil you know is better than the devil you don't
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: the devil you know is better than the devil you don't know
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: the devil you say
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: thorny devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: underdevil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: undevil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: water devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: what the Devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: what the devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: where the devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: white devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: who the devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: why the devil
sense: Terms derived from devil (noun)
word: yoke-devil
Related terms: diabolo
diablo