Devil

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle)
• HYPHEN: dev=il

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Devil, 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.

Idiom

between 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.

Etymology

OE deofol f. LL diabolus f. Gk diabolos accuser, slanderer f. dia across + ballo to throw

THESAURUS

Devil

Abaddon, Apollyon, Baba Yaga, Beelzebub, Belial, Bowery bum, Lilith, Linotyper, Lucifer, Mafioso, Mephistopheles, Old Nick, Old Scratch, Satan, Succubus, Xanthippe, Young Turk, adventurer, adventuress, adversary, afreet, aggravate, annoy, antagonist, ape-man, apprentice printer, archenemy, bad boy, badger, bait, bake, barbarian, barbecue, barghest, baste, be at, beachcomber, beast, bedevil, beggar, beggarly fellow, beldam, berserk, berserker, beset, bitter enemy, blackguard, blanch, blighter, bloke, boil, bomber, booger, bother, braise, bravo, brazenface, brew, bristle, broil, brown, brown off, brute, bucko, budmash, buffoon, bug, bugger, bully, bullyboy, bullyrag, bum, bummer, burn up, cacodemon, caitiff, chap, chivy, coddle, compositor, con artist, con man, confidence man, confoundedly, cook, crone, curry, cutthroat, cutup, daeva, daredevil, demon, derelict, desperado, deuce, deucedly, devil incarnate, diablo, discompose, distemper, disturb, do, do to perfection, dog, dragon, drifter, drunkard, dust storm, dybbuk, electrotyper, elf, enemy, enfant terrible, evil genius, evil spirit, exasperate, exceedingly, excessively, exercise, extremely, fash, fellow, fiend, fiend from hell, fire, fire-eater, firebrand, foe, foeman, fox, fricassee, frizz, frizzle, fry, funmaker, fury, genie, genius, get, ghoul, good-for-naught, good-for-nothing, goon, gorilla, griddle, grill, gripe, gunman, gunsel, guy, gyre, hag, harass, hardnose, harmattan, harpy, harry, harum-scarum, heat, heckle, hector, hell-raiser, hellcat, hellhound, hellion, hellkite, hobo, holy terror, hood, hoodlum, hooligan, hothead, hotspur, hound, human wreck, imp, in hell, in the world, incendiary, incubus, irk, jinni, jinniyeh, joker, jokester, keyboarder, khamsin, killer, knave, lamia, limb, little devil, little monkey, little rascal, lowlife, mad dog, madbrain, madcap, makeup man, mauvais sujet, mean wretch, miff, minx, mischief, mischief-maker, molest, monster, mucker, mugger, nag, needle, nettle, no-good, nudzh, ogre, ogress, open enemy, operator, oven-bake, pan, pan-broil, parboil, pauvre diable, peesash, peeve, persecute, person, pester, pick on, pilgarlic, pique, pixie, plague, pluck the beard, poach, poor creature, poor devil, pother, practical joker, prankster, precious rascal, prepare, prepare food, pressman, printer, proofer, provoke, public enemy, puck, rake, rakehell, rakshasa, rantipole, rapist, rapscallion, rascal, revolutionary, ride, rile, roast, rogue, roil, rough, rowdy, ruffian, ruffle, sad case, sad sack, samiel, sandstorm, satan, saute, savage, scalawag, scallop, scamp, scapegrace, scoundrel, sear, serpent, shaitan, she-wolf, shedu, shirr, shrew, shyster, simmer, simoom, sirocco, skid-row bum, sly dog, slyboots, smoothie, sneak, sod, spalpeen, speedily, spitfire, steam, stereotyper, stew, stiff, stir-fry, stoneman, succubus, sundowner, swagman, sworn enemy, tease, termagant, terror, terrorist, the undead, thug, tiger, tigress, toast, torment, tough, tough guy, tramp, trickster, truant, try the patience, tweak the nose, typesetter, typographer, ugly customer, unfortunate, vag, vagabond, vagrant, vampire, vaurien, vex, villain, violent, violently, virago, vixen, wag, wastrel, werewolf, wild beast, wild man, witch, wolf, worry, worthless fellow, wretch, yogini

ROGET THESAURUS

Devil

Demon

N demon, daemon, demonry, demonology, evil genius, fiend, familiar, daeva, devil, bad spirit, unclean spirit, cacodemon, incubus, Eblis, shaitan, succubus, succuba, Frankenstein's monster, Titan, Shedim, Mephistopheles, Asmodeus, Moloch, Belial, Ahriman, fury, harpy, Friar Rush, vampire, ghoul, afreet, barghest, Loki, ogre, ogress, gnome, gin, jinn, imp, deev, lamia, bogie, bogeyman, bogle, nis, kobold, flibbertigibbet, fairy, brownie, pixy, elf, dwarf, urchin, Puck, Robin Goodfellow, leprechaun, Cluricaune, troll, dwerger, sprite, ouphe, bad fairy, nix, nixie, pigwidgeon, will-o'-the wisp, ghost, revenant, specter, apparition, spirit, shade, shadow, vision, hobglobin, goblin, orc, wraith, spook, boggart, banshee, loup-garou, lemures, evil eye, merman, mermaid, merfolk, siren, satyr, faun, manito, manitou, manitu, possession, demonic possession, diabolic possession, insanity, Maxwell's demon, demoniac, demonic, demonical, impish, demoniacal, fiendish, fiend-like, supernatural, weird, uncanny, unearthly, spectral, ghostly, ghost-like, elfin, elvin, elfish, elflike, haunted, pokerish, possessed, possessed by a devil, possessed by a demon, demonically.

Bad Man

N bad man, wrongdoer, worker of iniquity, evildoer, sinner, the wicked, bad example, villain, rascal, scoundrel, miscreant, budmash, caitiff, wretch, reptile, viper, serpent, cockatrice, basilisk, urchin, tiger, monster, devil, devil incarnate, demon in human shape, Nana Sahib, hellhound, hellcat, rakehell, bad woman, jade, Jezebel, scamp, scapegrace, rip, runagate, ne'er-do-well, reprobate, scalawag, scallawag, rou_e, rake, Sadist, skeesicks, skeezix, limb, one who has sold himself to the devil, fallen angel, ame damnee, vaurien, mauvais sujet, loose fish, sad dog, rounder, lost sheep, black sheep, castaway, recreant, defaulter, prodigal, rough, rowdy, hooligan, tough, ugly customer, mean mother, ruffian, bully, meanie, Jonathan Wild, hangman, incendiary, arsonist, fire bug, thief, murderer, terrorist, culprit, delinquent, crook, hoodlum, hood, criminal, thug, malefactor, offender, perpetrator, perp, disorderly person, misdemeanant, outlaw, scofflaw, vandal, felon, (convicted criminal), criminal, convict, prisoner, inmate, jail bird, ticket of leave man, multiple offender, blackguard, polisson, loafer, sneak, rapscallion, rascallion, cullion, mean wretch, varlet, kern, ame-de-boue, drole, cur, dog, hound, whelp, mongrel, lown, loon, runnion, outcast, vagabond, rogue, ronian, scum of the earth, riffraff, Arcades ambo, Int, sirrah!, Acherontis pabulum, gibier de potence.

Pungency

VB be pungent, bite the tongue, render pungent, season, spice, salt, pepper, pickle, brine, devil, smoke, chew, take snuff.