noun
- Theol.
- the chief evil spirit, a supernatural being subordinate to, and the foe of, God, and the tempter of human beings; Satan: typically depicted as a man with horns, a tail, and cloven feet: with the
- any evil spirit; demon
- a very wicked or malevolent person
- a person who is mischievous, energetic, reckless, etc.
- an unlucky, unhappy person: that poor devil
- anything that is difficult or is hard to operate, control, understand, etc.
- printer's devil
- any of various machines for tearing things, as paper or rags, to bits
Origin:
ME devel < OE deofol < LL(Ec) diabolus < Gr diabolos, slanderous (in LXX, Satan; in N.T., devil) < diaballein, to slander, lit., throw across < dia-, across + ballein, to throw: see ball
transitive verb deviled or devilled, deviling or devilling
Origin:
from the notion of heat
to prepare (food, often chopped food) with hot seasoning: deviled ham- to tear up (rags, etc.) with a special machine
- ☆ to annoy; torment; tease