ˈdevl n. & v. --n. 1 (usu.
the Devil) (in
Christian and Jewish belief) the
supreme spirit of
evil;
Satan. 2 a an evil spirit; a
demon; a
superhuman malignant being. b a personified evil force or
attribute. 3 a a
wicked or
cruel person. b a mischievously
energetic,
clever, or
self-willed person. 4 colloq. a person, a
fellow (lucky devil). 5 fighting spirit, mischievousness (the devil is in
him tonight). 6 colloq.
something difficult or
awkward (this
door is a devil to open). 7 (the devil or the Devil) colloq. used as an
exclamation of
surprise or annoyance (who the devil are you?). 8 a
literary hack exploited by an employer. 9
Brit. a
junior legal counsel. 10 =
Tasmanian devil. 11
applied to
various instruments and machines,
esp.
when used
for destructive work. 12 S.Afr. =
dust devil. --v. (devilled, devilling; US deviled, deviling) 1 tr.
cook (food)
with hot seasoning. 2 intr.
act as a devil for an
author or
barrister. 3 tr. US
harass,
worry. øbetween the devil and the
deep blue
sea in a
dilemma. devil-may-care
cheerful and
reckless. a devil of colloq. a
considerable, difficult, or
remarkable. devil a
one not even one. devil ray
any cartilaginous fish of the
family Mobulidae, esp. the
manta. devil's
advocate a person
who tests a
proposition by arguing
against it. devil's bit any of various plants
whose roots
look bitten off, esp. a kind of
scabious (Succisa pratensis). devil's coach-horse Brit. a
large rove-beetle, Staphylinus olens. devil's darning-needle a
dragonfly or
damselfly. devil's
dozen thirteen. devils-on-horseback a
savoury of prune or
plum wrapped in slices of
bacon. devil's
own colloq.
very difficult or
unusual (the devil's own job). devil
take the
hindmost a
motto of
selfish competition. the devil to pay
trouble to be expected. go to the devil 1 be
damned. 2 (in imper.)
depart at
once. like the devil with
great energy.
play the devil with
cause severe damage to. printer's devil
hist. an errand-boy in a
printing office.
speak (or talk) of the devil
said when a person appears
just after being mentioned. the very devil (predic.) colloq. a great
difficulty or
nuisance. [OE deofol f. LL diabolus f. Gk diabolos accuser, slanderer f. dia
across + ballo to throw]