deviling

Variant of devil

devil definition

devil (devəl)

noun

  1. Theol.
    1. 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
    2. any evil spirit; demon
  2. a very wicked or malevolent person
  3. a person who is mischievous, energetic, reckless, etc.
  4. an unlucky, unhappy person that poor devil
  5. anything that is difficult or is hard to operate, control, understand, etc.
  6. printer's devil
  7. any of various machines for tearing things, as paper or rags, to bits

Etymology: 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 -·iled or devilled -·illed, deviling -·il·ing or devilling -·il·ling

  1. Etymology: from the notion of heat

    to prepare (food, often chopped food) with hot seasoning deviled ham
  2. to tear up (rags, etc.) with a special machine
  3. ☆ to annoy; torment; tease
devil Idioms

a devil of a

an extreme example of a

between the devil and the deep (blue) sea

between equally unpleasant alternatives

give the devil his due

to acknowledge the ability or success of even a wicked or unpleasant person

go to the devil

to fall into bad habits; degenerate morally: used also in the imperative as an expression of anger or annoyance

play the devil with

Informal to cause to go awry; upset

raise the devil

  1. to conjure up the devil
  2. Informal to make a commotion or have a boisterous good time

the devil!

Informal an exclamation of anger, surprise, negation, etc.: often in such phrases as the devil you did!, meaning “did you really?”

the devil to pay

trouble as a consequence

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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