devil - What does it mean?
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Definition of 'devil'Noun
( en-noun)
(theology) A creature of hell.
(theology) (the devil' ''or'' ' the Devil ) The chief devil; Satan.
The bad part of the conscience; the opposite to the angel.
* The devil in me wants to let him suffer.
A wicked or naughty person, or one who harbors reckless, spirited energy, especially in a mischievous way; usually said of a young child.
* Those two kids are devils in a toy store.
A thing that is awkward or difficult to understand or do.
* That math problem was a devil .
(euphemistically|with an article|as an intensifier) Hell.
* What in the devil''' is that?'' ''What the '''devil is that?
* She is having a devil of a time fixing it.
* You can go to the devil for all I care.
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.
(religion|Christian Science) An evil or erring entity.
(dialectal|in compounds) A barren, unproductive and unused area.[Dictionary of Regional American English][ ]Word Detective: Tales from the berm
- devil strip
(cookery) A dish, as a bone with the meat, broiled and excessively peppered; a grill with Cayenne pepper.
* Sir Walter Scott
- Men and women busy in baking, broiling, roasting oysters, and preparing devils on the gridiron.
A machine for tearing or cutting rags, cotton, etc.
Synonyms
* (a creature of hell ): demon
* (the chief devil''): Satan, Beelzebub, Mephistopheles, Old Nick, Old Scratch (''UK'' & ''US ), old-gooseberry, old gentleman
* (thing awkward or difficult to understand or do''): bastard, bitch, bugger (''UK ), stinker
* (wicked or naughty person ): imp, rascal, scamp, scoundrel
* (as a euphemistic intensifier''): deuce (''euphemistic''), dickens (''euphemistic''), fuck (''only in senses with'' the ; ''taboo slang ), heck, hell
* (a person, especially a man (as in "poor devil")''): bugger (''UK''), cow (''used of a woman''), sod (''UK )
Antonyms
* ( a creature of hell) angel, god
* ( the chief devil) God
* ( the bad part of the conscience) angel, conscience
* ( thing awkward or difficult to understand) cakewalk ( US ), piece of cake, simplicity itself
* ( sense, wicked or naughty person') angel, saint
Derived terms
* devil's luck
* bedevil
* better the devil you know
* devilish, devillish
* devilry, deviltry
* a devil way
* devil-may-care
* the devil, you say!
* the devil has all the best tunes
* (the) devil is in the details
* devil strip
*
*
( rel-mid3)
* devil dog
*
*
*
* devil's footstep
* devil's lane
* devil's own
*
*
* devil's strip
* (the) devil take the hindmost
*
* dust devil
( rel-mid3)
* folk devil
* idle hands are the devil's workshop
* the devil is in the details
* give the devil his due
* poor devil
* speak of the devil
* silver tongued devil
* Tasmanian devil
* what the devil
* where the devil
* who the devil
* why the devil
* how the devil
( rel-bottom)
Related terms
* diabolo
* diablo
Verb
To make like a devil; to invest with the character of a devil.
To annoy or bother; to bedevil.
To work as a ‘devil’; to work for a lawyer or writer without fee or recognition.
* 1978 , (Lawrence Durrell), Livia'', Faber & Faber 1992 (''Avignon Quintet ), page 401:
- He did not repeat the scathing estimate of her character by Quatrefages, who at that time spent one afternoon a week devilling at the Consulate, keeping the petty-cash box in order.
To grill with cayenne pepper; to season highly in cooking, as with pepper.
To finely grind cooked ham or other meat with spices and condiments.
To prepare a sidedish of shelled halved boiled eggs to whose extracted yolks are added condiments and spices, which mixture then is placed into the halved whites to be served.
* She's going to devil four dozen eggs for the picnic.
Usage notes
* UK usage doubles the l' in the inflected forms "devi'''ll'''ed" and "devi' ll ing"; US usage generally does not.
Synonyms
* (annoy or bother ): annoy, bedevil, bother, irk, irritate, pester, trouble, peeve
Derived terms
* deviled egg, devilled egg
* deviled ham, devilled ham
See also
* angel
* demon
* enemy
* Lucifer
* Satan
* Ravana
References
Similar to 'devil'duffel, debel, devvel, devel, defoul, deevil, dueful, defail, deball, divel, dufoil, davul, diobol
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