devil

Meanings

Proper Noun

• The chief devil; Satan.

Noun

• An evil creature, the objectification of a hostile and destructive force.
• 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.
• The bad part of the conscience; the opposite to the angel.
• A wicked or naughty person, or one who harbors reckless, spirited energy, especially in a mischievous way; usually said of a young child.
• A thing that is awkward or difficult to understand or do.
• Hell.
• A person, especially a man; used to express a particular opinion of him, usually in the phrases poor devil and lucky devil.
• A dust devil.
• A barren, unproductive and unused area.
• A dish, as a bone with the meat, broiled and excessively peppered; a grill with Cayenne pepper.
• A machine for tearing or cutting rags, cotton, etc.
• A Tasmanian devil.
• An endurance event where riders who fall behind are periodically eliminated.

Verb

• To make like a devil; to invest with the character of a devil.
• To annoy or bother.
• To work as a ‘devil’; to work for a lawyer or writer without fee or recognition.
• To prepare (food) with spices, making it spicy:

Origin

• From Middle English devil, devel, deovel, from Old English dēofol, dēoful, from earlier dīobul, from Latin diabolus, ultimately from Ancient Greek διάβολος ("accuser, slanderer"), also as "Satan" (in Jewish/Christian usage, translating Ancient Hebrew שָׂטָן), from διαβάλλω, literally “to throw across”, from διά + βάλλω. The Old English word was probably adopted under influence of diabolus (itself from the Greek). Other Germanic languages adopted the word independently: compare Saterland Frisian Düüwel ("devil"), West Frisian duvel ("devil"), Dutch duivel, duvel, German Low German Düvel ("devil"), German Teufel ("devil"), Danish djævel ("devil"), Swedish djävul ("devil") (older: djefvul, Old Swedish diævul, Old Norse djǫfull). diable, diablo, and diabolus.