Definition of the word devil

A devil is the personification of evil as it is conceived in various cultures and religious traditions.^[1] It is seen as the objectification of a hostile and destructive force.^[2] Jeffrey Burton Russell states that the different conceptions of the devil can be summed up as 1) a principle of evil independent from God, 2) an aspect of God, 3) a created being turning evil (a fallen angel), and 4) a symbol of human evil.^[3]: 23

Each tradition, culture, and religion with a devil in its mythos offers a different lens on manifestations of evil.^[4] The history of these perspectives intertwines with theology, mythology, psychiatry, art, and literature developing independently within each of the traditions.^[5] It occurs historically in many contexts and cultures, and is given many different names—Satan, Lucifer, Beelzebub, Mephistopheles, Iblis—and attributes: it is portrayed as blue, black, or red; it is portrayed as having horns on its head, and without horns, and so on.^[6][7] While depictions of the devil are usually taken seriously, there are times when it is treated less seriously; when, for example, devil figures are used in advertising and on candy wrappers.^[4][8]

Etymology

The Modern English word devil derives from the Middle English devel, from the Old English dēofol, that in turn represents an early Germanic borrowing of the Latin diabolus. This in turn was borrowed from the Greek διάβολος diábolos, «slanderer»,^[9] from διαβάλλειν diabállein, «to slander» from διά diá, «across, through» and βάλλειν bállein, «to hurl», probably akin to the Sanskrit gurate, «he lifts up».^[10]

Definitions

In his book The Devil: Perceptions of Evil from Antiquity to Primitive Christianity, Jeffrey Burton Russell discusses various meanings and difficulties that are encountered when using the term devil. He does not claim to define the word in a general sense, but he describes the limited use that he intends for the word in his book—limited in order to «minimize this difficulty» and «for the sake of clarity». In this book Russell uses the word devil as «the personification of evil found in a variety of cultures», as opposed to the word Satan, which he reserves specifically for the figure in the Abrahamic religions.^[11]

In the Introduction to his book Satan: A Biography, Henry Ansgar Kelly discusses various considerations and meanings that he has encountered in using terms such as devil and Satan, etc. While not offering a general definition, he describes that in his book «whenever diabolos is used as the proper name of Satan», he signals it by using «small caps».^[12]

The Oxford English Dictionary has a variety of definitions for the meaning of «devil», supported by a range of citations: «Devil» may refer to Satan, the supreme spirit of evil, or one of Satan’s emissaries or demons that populate Hell, or to one of the spirits that possess a demonic person; «devil» may refer to one of the «malignant deities» feared and worshiped by «heathen people», a demon, a malignant being of superhuman powers; figuratively «devil» may be applied to a wicked person, or playfully to a rogue or rascal, or in empathy often accompanied by the word «poor» to a person—»poor devil».^[13]

Baháʼí Faith

In the Baháʼí Faith, a malevolent, superhuman entity such as a devil or satan is not believed to exist.^[14] These terms do, however, appear in the Baháʼí writings, where they are used as metaphors for the lower nature of man. Human beings are seen to have free will, and are thus able to turn towards God and develop spiritual qualities or turn away from God and become immersed in their self-centered desires. Individuals who follow the temptations of the self and do not develop spiritual virtues are often described in the Baháʼí writings with the word satanic.^[14] The Baháʼí writings also state that the devil is a metaphor for the «insistent self» or «lower self» which is a self-serving inclination within each individual. Those who follow their lower nature are also described as followers of «the Evil One».^[15][16]

Christianity

In Christianity, evil is incarnate in the devil or Satan, a fallen angel who is the primary opponent of God.^[17][18] Some Christians also considered the Roman and Greek deities as devils.^[6][7]

Christianity describes Satan as a fallen angel who terrorizes the world through evil,^[17] is the antithesis of truth,^[19] and shall be condemned, together with the fallen angels who follow him, to eternal fire at the Last Judgment.^[17]

In mainstream Christianity, the devil is usually referred to as Satan. This is because Christian beliefs in Satan are inspired directly by the dominant view of Second Temple Judaism (recorded in the Enochian books), as expressed/practiced by Jesus, and with some minor variations. Some modern Christians^[who?] consider the devil to be an angel who, along with one-third of the angelic host (the demons), rebelled against God and has consequently been condemned to the Lake of Fire. He is described^{[attribution needed]} as hating all humanity (or more accurately creation), opposing God, spreading lies and wreaking havoc on their souls.

Satan is traditionally identified as the serpent who convinced Eve to eat the forbidden fruit; thus, Satan has often been depicted as a serpent.

In the Bible, the devil is identified with «the dragon» and «the old serpent» seen in the Book of Revelation,^[21] as has «the prince of this world» in the Gospel of John;^[22] and «the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience» in the Epistle to the Ephesians;^[23] and «the god of this world» in 2 Corinthians 4:4.^[24] He is also identified as the dragon in the Book of Revelation^[25] and the tempter of the Gospels.^[26]

The devil is sometimes called Lucifer, particularly when describing him as an angel before his fall, although the use of Lucifer (Latin lúcifer or «bringer of light», Hebrew hêlēl), the «son of the dawn» (ben šāḥar), in Isaiah 14:12 is a reference to a Babylonian king.^[27]

Beelzebub is originally the name of a Philistine god (more specifically a certain type of Baal, from Ba‘al Zebûb, lit. «Lord of Flies») but is also used in the New Testament as a synonym for the devil. A corrupted version, «Belzeboub», appears in The Divine Comedy (Inferno XXXIV).

In other, non-mainstream, Christian beliefs (e.g. the beliefs of the Christadelphians) the word «satan» in the Bible is not regarded as referring to a supernatural, personal being but to any ‘adversary’ and figuratively refers to human sin and temptation.^[28]

Apocrypha/Deuterocanon

In the Book of Wisdom, the devil is represented as the one who brought death into the world.^[29] The Second Book of Enoch contains references to a Watcher called Satanael,^[30] describing him as the prince of the Grigori who was cast out of heaven^[31] and an evil spirit who knew the difference between what was «righteous» and «sinful».^[32]

In the Book of Jubilees, Satan rules over a host of angels.^[33] Mastema, who induced God to test Abraham through the sacrifice of Isaac, is identical with Satan in both name and nature.^[34] The Book of Enoch contains references to Sathariel, thought also^{[by whom?]} to be Sataniel and Satan’el. The similar spellings mirror that of his angelic brethren Michael, Raphael, Uriel, and Gabriel, previous to his expulsion from Heaven.^{[citation needed]}

Gnostic religions

Gnostic and Gnostic-influenced religions postulate the idea that the material world is inherently evil. The One true God is remote, beyond the material universe, therefore this universe must be governed by an inferior imposter deity. This deity was identified with the deity of the Old Testament by some sects, such as the Sethians and the Marcions. Tertullian accuses Marcion of Sinope, that he

[held that] the Old Testament was a scandal to the faithful … and … accounted for it by postulating [that Jehovah was] a secondary deity, a demiurgus, who was god, in a sense, but not the supreme God; he was just, rigidly just, he had his good qualities, but he was not the good god, who was Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ.^[35]

John Arendzen (1909) in the Catholic Encyclopedia (1913) mentions that Eusebius accused Apelles, the 2nd-century AD Gnostic, of considering the Inspirer of Old Testament prophecies to be not a god, but an evil angel.^[36] These writings commonly refer to the Creator of the material world as «a demiurgus»^[35] to distinguish him from the One true God. Some texts, such as the Apocryphon of John and On the Origin of the World, not only demonized the Creator God but also called him by the name of the devil in some Jewish writings, Samael.^[37]

Catharism

In the 12th century in Europe the Cathars, who were rooted in Gnosticism, dealt with the problem of evil, and developed ideas of dualism and demonology. The Cathars were seen as a serious potential challenge to the Catholic church of the time. The Cathars split into two camps. The first is absolute dualism, which held that evil was completely separate from the good God, and that God and the devil each had power. The second camp is mitigated dualism, which considers Lucifer to be a son of God, and a brother to Christ. To explain this they used the parable of the prodigal son, with Christ as the good son, and Lucifer as the son that strayed into evilness. The Catholic Church responded to dualism in AD 1215 in the Fourth Lateran Council, saying that God created everything from nothing, and the devil was good when he was created, but he made himself bad by his own free will.^[38][39] In the Gospel of the Secret Supper, Lucifer, just as in prior Gnostic systems, appears as a demiurge, who created the material world.^[40]

Islam

In Islam, the principle of evil is expressed by two terms referring to the same entity:^[41][42][43] Shaitan (meaning astray, distant or devil) and Iblis. Iblis is the proper name of the devil representing the characteristics of evil.^[44] Iblis is mentioned in the Quranic narrative about the creation of humanity. When God created Adam, he ordered the angels to prostrate themselves before him. All did, but Iblis refused and claimed to be superior to Adam out of pride. ^{[Quran 7:12]} Therefore, pride but also envy became a sign of «unbelief» in Islam.^[44] Thereafter Iblis was condemned to Hell, but God granted him a request to lead humanity astray,^[45] knowing the righteous would resist Iblis’ attempts to misguide them. In Islam, both good and evil are ultimately created by God. But since God’s will is good, the evil in the world must be part of God’s plan.^[46] Actually, God allowed the devil to seduce humanity. Evil and suffering are regarded as a test or a chance to proof confidence in God.^[46] Some philosophers and mystics emphasized Iblis himself as a role model of confidence in God, because God ordered the angels to prostrate themselves, Iblis was forced to choose between God’s command and God’s will (not to praise someone else than God). He successfully passed the test, yet his disobedience caused his punishment and therefore suffering. However, he stays patient and is rewarded in the end.^[47]

Muslims hold that the pre-Islamic jinn, tutelary deities, became subject under Islam to the judgment of God, and that those who did not submit to the law of God are devils.^[48]

Although Iblis is often compared to the devil in Christian theology, Islam rejects the idea that Satan is an opponent of God and the implied struggle between God and the devil.^{[clarification needed]} Iblis might either be regarded as the most monotheistic or the greatest sinner, but remains only a creature of God. Iblis did not become an unbeliever due to his disobedience, but because of attributing injustice to God; that is, by asserting that the command to prostrate himself before Adam was inappropriate.^[49] There is no sign of angelic revolt in the Quran and no mention of Iblis trying to take God’s throne^[50][51] and Iblis’s sin could be forgiven at anytime by God.^[52] According to the Quran, Iblis’s disobedience was due to his disdain for humanity, a narrative already occurring in early New Testament apocrypha.^[53]

As in Christianity, Iblis was once a pious creature of God but later cast out of Heaven due to his pride. However, to maintain God’s absolute sovereignty,^[54] Islam matches the line taken by Irenaeus instead of the later Christian consensus that the devil did not rebel against God but against humanity.^[55][42] Further, although Iblis is generally regarded as a real bodily entity,^[56] he plays a less significant role as the personification of evil than in Christianity. Iblis is merely a tempter, notable for inciting humans into sin by whispering into humans minds (waswās), akin to the Jewish idea of the devil as yetzer hara.^[57][58]

On the other hand, Shaitan refers unilaterally to forces of evil, including the devil Iblis, then he causes mischief.^[59] Shaitan is also linked to humans psychological nature, appearing in dreams, causing anger or interrupting the mental preparation for prayer.^[56] Furthermore, the term Shaitan also refers to beings, who follow the evil suggestions of Iblis. Furthermore, the principle of shaitan is in many ways a symbol of spiritual impurity, representing humans’ own deficits, in contrast to a «true Muslim», who is free from anger, lust and other devilish desires.^[60]

In Muslim culture, devils are believed to be hermaphrodite creatures created from hell-fire, with one male and one female thigh. By that, they procreate without another mate. It is generally believed that devils can harm the souls of humans through their whisperings. While whisperings tempt humans to sin, the devils might enter the hearth (qalb) of an individual. If the devils take over the soul of a person, this would render them aggressive or insane.^[61] In extreme cases, the alterings of the soul are believed to have effect on the body, matching its spiritual qualities.^[62]

In Sufism and mysticism

In contrast to Occidental philosophy, the Sufi idea of seeing «Many as One», and considering the creation in its essence as the Absolute, leads to the idea of the dissolution of any dualism between the ego substance and the «external» substantial objects. The rebellion against God, mentioned in the Quran, takes place on the level of the psyche, that must be trained and disciplined for its union with the spirit that is pure. Since psyche drives the body, flesh is not the obstacle to humans but rather an unawareness that allows the impulsive forces to cause rebellion against God on the level of the psyche. Yet it is not a dualism between body, psyche and spirit, since the spirit embraces both psyche and corporeal aspects of humanity.^[63] Since the world is held to be the mirror in which God’s attributes are reflected, participation in worldly affairs is not necessarily seen as opposed to God.^[57] The devil activates the selfish desires of the psyche, leading the human astray from the Divine.^[64] Thus it is the I that is regarded as evil, and both Iblis and Pharao are present as symbols for uttering «I» in ones own behavior. Therefore it is recommended to use the term I as little as possible. It is only God who has the right to say «I», since it is only God who is self-subsistent. Uttering «I» is therefore a way to compare oneself to God, regarded as shirk.^[65]

In Salafism

Salafi strands of Islam commonly emphasize a dualistic worldview contrasting believers and unbelievers,^[66] and featuring the devil as the enemy of the faithful who tries to lead them astray from God’s path. Even though the devil will eventually be defeated by God, he remains a serious and dangerous opponent of humans.^[67] While in classical hadiths, the demons (Shayateen) and the jinn are responsible for impurity and capable of endangering human souls, in Salafi thought, it is the devil himself, who lies in wait for believers,^[68] always striving to lure them away from God. The devil is regarded as an omnipresent entity, permanently inciting humans into sin, but can be pushed away by remembering the name God.^[69] The devil is regarded as an external entity, threatening the everyday life of the believer, even in social aspects of life.^[70] Thus for example, it is the devil who is responsible for Western emancipation.^[71]

Judaism

Yahweh, the god in pre-exilic Judaism, created both good and evil, as stated in Isaiah 45:7: «I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.» The devil does not exist in Jewish scriptures. However, the influence of Zoroastrianism during the Achaemenid Empire introduced evil as a separate principle into the Jewish belief system, which gradually externalized the opposition until the Hebrew term satan developed into a specific type of supernatural entity, changing the monistic view of Judaism into a dualistic one.^[72] Later, Rabbinic Judaism rejected^[when?] the Enochian books (written during the Second Temple period under Persian influence), which depicted the devil as an independent force of evil besides God.^[73] After the apocalyptic period, references to Satan in the Tanakh are thought^{[by whom?]} to be allegorical.^[74]

Mandaeism

In Mandaean mythology, Ruha fell apart from the World of Light and became the queen of the World of Darkness, also referred to as Sheol.^[75][76][77] She is considered evil and a liar, sorcerer and seductress.^[78]: 541She gives birth to Ur, also referred to as Leviathan. He is portrayed as a large, ferocious dragon or snake and is considered the king of the World of Darkness.^[76] Together they rule the underworld and create the seven planets and twelve zodiac constellations.^[76] Also found in the underworld is Krun, the greatest of the five Mandaean Lords of the underworld. He dwells in the lowest depths of creation and his epithet is the ‘mountain of flesh’.^[79]: 251 Prominent infernal beings found in the World of Darkness include lilith, nalai (vampire), niuli (hobgoblin), latabi (devil), gadalta (ghost), satani (Satan) and various other demons and evil spirits.^[76][75]

Manichaeism

In Manichaeism, God and the devil are two unrelated principles. God created good and inhabits the realm of light, while the devil (also called the prince of darkness^[80][81]) created evil and inhabits the kingdom of darkness. The contemporary world came into existence, when the kingdom of darkness assaulted the kingdom of light and mingled with the spiritual world.^[82] At the end, the devil and his followers will be sealed forever and the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness will continue to co-exist eternally, never to commingle again.^[83]

Hegemonius (4th century CE) accuses that the Persian prophet Mani, founder of the Manichaean sect in the 3rd century CE, identified Jehovah as «the devil god which created the world»^[84] and said that «he who spoke with Moses, the Jews, and the priests … is the [Prince] of Darkness, … not the god of truth.»^[80][81]

Tengrism

Among the Tengristic myths of central Asia, Erlik refers to a devil-like figure as the ruler of Tamag (Hell), who was also the first human. According to one narrative, Erlik and God swam together over the primordial waters. When God was about to create the Earth, he sent Erlik to dive into the waters and collect some mud. Erlik hid some inside his mouth to later create his own world. But when God commanded the Earth to expand, Erlik got troubled by the mud in his mouth. God aided Erlik to spit it out. The mud carried by Erlik gave place to the unpleasant areas of the world. Because of his sin, he was assigned to evil. In another variant, the creator-god is identified with Ulgen. Again, Erlik appears to be the first human. He desired to create a human just as Ulgen did, thereupon Ulgen reacted by punishing Erlik, casting him into the Underworld where he becomes its ruler.^[85][86]

According to Tengrism, there is no death, meaning that, when life comes to an end, it is merely a transition into the invisible world. As the ruler of Hell, Erlik enslaves the souls, who are damned to Hell. Further, he lurks on the souls of those humans living on Earth by causing death, disease and illnesses. At the time of birth, Erlik sends a Kormos to seize the soul of the newborn, following him for the rest of his life in an attempt to seize his soul by hampering, misguiding, and injuring him. When Erlik succeeds in destroying a human’s body, the Kormos sent by Erlik will try take him down into the Underworld. However a good soul will be brought to Paradise by a Yayutshi sent by Ulgen.^[87] Some shamans also made sacrifices to Erlik, for gaining a higher rank in the Underworld, if they should be damned to Hell.

Yazidism

According to Yazidism there is no entity that represents evil in opposition to God; such dualism is rejected by Yazidis,^[88] and evil is regarded as nonexistent.^[89] Yazidis adhere to strict monism and are prohibited from uttering the word «devil» and from speaking of anything related to Hell.^[90]

Zoroastrianism

Zoroastrianism probably introduced the first idea of the devil; a principle of evil independently existing apart from God.^[91] In Zoroastrianism, good and evil derive from two ultimately opposed forces.^[92] The force of good is called Ahura Mazda and the «destructive spirit» in the Avestan language is called Angra Mainyu. The Middle Persian equivalent is Ahriman. They are in eternal struggle and neither is all-powerful, especially Angra Mainyu is limited to space and time: in the end of time, he will be finally defeated. While Ahura Mazda creates what is good, Angra Mainyu is responsible for every evil and suffering in the world, such as toads and scorpions.^[91]
Iranian Zoroastrians also considered the Daeva as devil creature, because of this in the Shahnameh, it is mentioned as both Ahriman Div (Persian: اهریمن دیو, romanized: Ahriman Div) as a devil.

Devil in moral philosophy

Spinoza

A non-published manuscript of Spinoza’s Ethics contained a chapter (Chapter XXI) on the devil, where Spinoza examined whether the devil may exist or not. He defines the devil as an entity which is contrary to God.^{[93]: 46 [94]: 150} However, if the devil is the opposite of God, the devil would consist of Nothingness, which does not exist.^[93]: 145

In a paper called On Devils, he writes that we can a priori find out that such a thing cannot exist. Because the duration of a thing results in its degree of perfection, and the more essence a thing possess the more lasting it is, and since the devil has no perfection at all, it is impossible for the devil to be an existing thing.^[95]: 72 Evil or immoral behaviour in humans, such as anger, hate, envy, and all things for which the devil is blamed for could be explained without the proposal of a devil.^[93]: 145 Thus, the devil doesn’t have any explanatory power and should be dismissed (Occam’s razor).

Regarding evil through free-choice, Spinoza asks how it can be that Adam would have chosen sin over his own well-being. Theology traditionally responds to this by asserting it is the devil who tempts humans into sin, but who would have tempted the devil? According to Spinoza, a rational being, such as the devil must have been, could not choose his own damnation.^[96] The devil must have known his sin would lead to doom, thus the devil was not knowing, or the devil didn’t know his sin will lead to doom, thus the devil would not have been a rational being. Spinoza deducts a strict determinism in which moral agency as a free choice, cannot exist.^[93]: 150

Kant

In Religion Within the Limits of Reason Alone, Immanuel Kant uses the devil as the personification of maximum moral reprehensibility. Deviating from the common Christian idea, Kant does not locate the morally reprehensible in sensual urges. Since evil has to be intelligible, only when the sensual is consciously placed above the moral obligation can something be regarded as morally evil. Thus, to be evil, the devil must be able to comprehend morality but consciously reject it, and, as a spiritual being (Geistwesen), having no relation to any form of sensual pleasure. It is necessarily required for the devil to be a spiritual being, because if the devil were also a sensual^{[clarification needed]}, it would be possible that the devil does evil to satisfy lower sensual desires, and doesn’t act from the mind alone. The devil acts against morals, not to satisfy a sensual lust, but solely for the sake of evil. As such, the devil is unselfish, for he does not benefit from his evil deeds.

However, Kant denies that a human being could ever be completely devilish. Kant admits that there are devilish vices (ingratitude, envy, and malicious joy), i.e., vices that do not bring any personal advantage, but a person can never be completely a devil. In his Lecture on Moral Philosophy (1774/75) Kant gives an example of a tulip seller who was in possession of a rare tulip, but when he learned that another seller had the same tulip, he bought it from him and then destroyed it instead to keeping it for himself. If he had acted according to his sensual^{[clarification needed]} in according to his urges, the seller would have kept the tulip for himself to make profit, but not have destroyed it. Nevertheless, the destruction of the tulip cannot be completely absolved from sensual impulses, since a sensual joy or relief still accompanies the destruction of the tulip and therefore cannot be thought of solely as a violation of morality.^{[97]: 156-173}

Kant further argues that a (spiritual) devil would be a contradiction. If the devil would be defined by doing evil, the devil had no free-choice in the first place. But if the devil had no free-choice, the devil could not have been held accountable for his actions, since he had no free-will but was only following his nature.^[98]

Titles

Honorifics or styles of address used to indicate devil-figures.

See also

• Deal with the Devil
• Devil in popular culture
• Hades, Underworld
• Krampus,^[101][102] in the Tyrolean area also Tuifl^[103][104]
• Non-physical entity
• Theistic Satanism

References

External links

• Entry from the Catholic Encyclopedia
• Can you sell your soul to the Devil? A Jewish view on the Devil

Recent Examples on the Web

On view: vibrant outfits and papier maché masks portraying figures such as the limping devil or the chicken thief.


—Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 4 Apr. 2023




Bridges, the stunt-devil feline who was rescued from a San Antonio overpass and then put up for adoption, is actually named Oliver.


—Gabriella Ybarra, San Antonio Express-News, 29 Mar. 2023




The kind of grief that urges you to song is inelegant, a hot devil nearly impossible to wrestle into form.


—Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2023




In The Crooked Man, which is set in 1950s rural Appalachia, Hellboy and a rookie Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (BPRD) agent discover a small community haunted by witches, led by the Crooked Man, a local devil with a troubling connection to Hellboy’s past.


—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Mar. 2023




Gondoliers, harlequins and masquerade devils made their entrances on the stage.


—Nathaniel Adams, Chron, 19 Feb. 2023




One of the most famous targets of the ongoing conspiracy of the ’80s was metal music — artists like Black Sabbath, Mötley Crüe, Ozzy Osbourne and many others were accused of promoting devil-worship, drug use and even violent crime to the many young people listening.


—Stephen Daw, Billboard, 16 Feb. 2023




Kiffin, 47, then included four emojis: a slash-through-a-red-circle no sign, a frowning devil, a chair, and a dinner plate with utensils.


—Blake Toppmeyer, USA TODAY, 23 Nov. 2022




While North Texas coaches are overwhelmingly opposed to the change, some have played devil’s advocate and said a fall soccer season could offer some perks.


—Lia Assimakopoulos, Dallas News, 14 Mar. 2023

So understanding the strange tricks that devil facial tumor disease, or DFTD, has evolved to ensure its survival should shed new light on cancer writ large.


—Julie Rehmeyer, Discover Magazine, 31 Mar. 2014




Highlights include a variety of cheese, smoked salmon, prosciutto, deviled egg salad, biscuits, bagels and baguettes and cinnamon rolls.


—Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2020




For $60, the family-sized meal includes a savory galette, homemade brioche with plum jam and French butter, Bayonne ham and pickles, miso deviled eggs, fresh fruit and a spring salad with wine and Bloody Mary or mimosa kits available for extra.


—Michael Russell, oregonlive, 6 May 2020




Those eggs now can be transformed into egg salad and deviled eggs.


—oregonlive, 8 Apr. 2020




On the menu: Dragon’s Eggs (spicy deviled eggs) and Red Wedding cake, among other bites.


—Randi Stevenson, chicagotribune.com, 23 Aug. 2019




Drizzle each deviled egg with aioli and sprinkle with additional Sweet & Spicy Sriracha Lime seasoning.


—Danielle Pointdujour, Essence, 26 Dec. 2019




The eggs — which were peeled, hard-boiled, and packaged in plastic pails of various sizes at the facility — may have been sold to food service operators and restaurants to make ready-to-eat dishes such as egg salad and deviled eggs.


—Gabrielle Chung, PEOPLE.com, 19 Dec. 2019




Usually there will be bagels and lox, tuna salad, egg salad or hard-cooked or deviled eggs, noodle kugel, some sort of vegetable like cole slaw or cucumber salad, fruit, and then small pastries like rugelach or mandel bread or the like for dessert.


—Stacey Ballis, chicagotribune.com, 2 Oct. 2019


See More

• Afrikaans: duiwel
• Albanian: dreq (sq) m, djall (sq) m, shejtan (sq) m
• Amharic: ዲያቦሎስ (diyabolos), ሳይጣን (sayṭan), ኢብሊስ (ʾiblis)
• Arabic: شَيْطَان‎ (ar) m (šayṭān), إِبْلِيس‎ m (ʔiblīs)
• Armenian: դև (hy) (dew), սատանա (hy) (satana)
• Aromanian: dracu
• Assamese: চৈতান (soitan)
• Asturian: diablu m
• Azerbaijani: şeytan (az), iblis (az)
• Bashkir: шайтан (şaytan), иблис (iblis)
• Belarusian: чорт m (čort), д’я́бал m (dʺjábal), бес m (bjes), сатана́ m (sataná)
• Bengali: শয়তান (bn) (śoẏotan), ইবলিশ (iboliś), রাক্ষস (bn) (rakkhoś)
• Bulgarian: дя́вол (bg) m (djávol), гя́вол m (gjávol) (alternative, archaic), сатана́ (bg) m (sataná), шейта́н (bg) m (šejtán) (Muslim)
• Burmese: ငရဲမင်း (my) (nga.rai:mang:), နတ်ဆိုး (my) (nathcui:), ငရဲသား (my) (nga.rai:sa:), ယမမင်း (my) (ya.ma.mang:)
• Catalan: dimoni (ca) m, diable (ca) m
• Chechen: шайтӏа (šajtʼa), йилбаз (jilbaz), лилбаз (lilbaz)
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 惡魔／恶魔 (ok³ mo¹), 魔鬼 (mo¹ gwai²)

  Dungan: шэтани (šetani), йиблисы (yiblisɨ)

  Mandarin: 惡魔／恶魔 (zh) (èmó), 魔鬼 (zh) (móguǐ), 邪魔 (zh) (xiémó), 惡鬼／恶鬼 (zh) (èguǐ)

  Min Nan: 惡魔／恶魔 (zh-min-nan) (ok-mô͘), 魔鬼 (zh-min-nan) (mô͘-kúi)

• Chuvash: явӑл m (javăl)
• Cornish: dyowl m
• Crimean Tatar: şaytan
• Czech: ďábel (cs) m, čert (cs) m
• Dalmatian: diaul m
• Danish: djævel c
• Dutch: duivel (nl) m
• Esperanto: diablo
• Estonian: kurat (et), saatan
• Faroese: djevul m, devul m, fani m, fjandi m, níðingur m, púki m
• Finnish: paholainen (fi), piru (fi), perkele (fi), sielunvihollinen (fi), demoni (fi) sg
• French: diable (fr) m
• Friulian: diaul m, cudiç m
• Galician: demo (gl) m
• Georgian: ეშმაკი (ešmaḳi)
• German: Teufel (de) m
• Gothic: 𐌳𐌹𐌰𐌱𐌰𐌿𐌻𐌿𐍃 m (diabaulus), 𐌿𐌽𐌷𐌿𐌻𐌸𐌰 m (unhulþa), 𐌿𐌽𐌷𐌿𐌻𐌸𐍉 m (unhulþō)
• Greek: διάβολος (el) m (diávolos)

  Ancient: διάβολος m (diábolos)

• Greenlandic: diaavulu, tiaavulu
• Gujarati: શયતાન m (śayatān)
• Haitian Creole: dyab
• Hausa: shaidan
• Hebrew: שֵׁד‎ (he) m (shed), שָׂטָן‎ (he) m (satán)
• Hindi: शैतान (hi) m (śaitān), दानव (hi) m (dānav), राक्षस (hi) m (rākṣas), देव (hi) m (dev), इबलीस (hi) m (iblīs)
• Hungarian: ördög (hu)
• Hunsrik: Deivel m
• Icelandic: djöfull (is) m, fjandi (is) m, skratti m, ári m, fjári (is) m
• Ido: diablo (io)
• Indonesian: iblis (id), syaitan (id), setan (id)
• Interlingua: diabolo
• Irish: diabhal m
• Istriot: giavo m, djavo m
• Italian: diavolo (it) m
• Japanese: 悪魔 (ja) (あくま, akuma), 鬼 (ja) (おに, oni), 悪鬼 (ja) (あっき, akki)
• Kannada: ದೆವ್ವದ (devvada)
• Kapampangan: mamayuyut, mikimarok, dimoniyu, diyablu
• Kazakh: жын (kk) (jyn), сайтан (saitan), шайтан (şaitan), әбілет (äbılet), ібіліс (ıbılıs)
• Khakas: айна (ayna)
• Khmer: បិសាច (km) (bəysaac), សាតាំង (km) (saatang), យម (yum)
• Kikuyu: caitaani
• Korean: 악마(惡魔) (ko) (angma), 악귀(惡鬼) (ko) (akgwi)
• Kurdish:

  Northern Kurdish: şeytan (ku) m, îblîs (ku) m

• Kven: perkelet
• Kyrgyz: шайтан (ky) (şaytan), азезил (ky) (azezil), жин (ky) (jin)
• Laboya: moritana
• Lao: ປີສາດ (pī sāt)
• Latgalian: valns, lyga
• Latin: diabolus (la) m, larva f
• Latvian: velns m
• Lithuanian: velnias m
• Low German:

  German Low German: Düvel (nds) m

• Luxembourgish: Däiwel m
• Macedonian: ѓавол m (ǵavol), враг m (vrag), шејтан m (šejtan) (Muslim)
• Malagasy: devoly (mg)
• Malay: iblis, syaitan
• Malayalam: ചെകുത്താൻ (ml) (cekuttāṉ)
• Maltese: xitan m, xitana f
• Maore Comorian: shetwani class 9
• Maori: rēwera
• Marathi: सैतान m (saitān)
• Megleno-Romanian: drac
• Middle English: devel
• Mongolian:

  Cyrillic: буг (mn) (bug), чөтгөр (mn) (čötgör)

• Nepali: शैतान (śaitān)
• North Frisian: (Mooring, Föhr-Amrum) düüwel m
• Northern Altai: буг (bug), шедгер (šedger)
• Northern Ohlone: ‘uténmak
• Northern Sami: biro, vuoras, oinnolaš
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: djevel m

  Nynorsk: djevel m

• Occitan: diable (oc) m
• Ojibwe: maji-manidoo
• Old Church Slavonic:

  Cyrillic: бѣсъ m (běsŭ), дїаволъ m (diavolŭ), диꙗволъ m (dijavolŭ)

• Old East Slavic: чортъ m (čortŭ), бѣсъ m (běsŭ), диꙗволъ m (dijavolŭ)
• Old English: deofol n
• Old Norse: djǫfull m
• Old Persian: 𐎭𐎡𐎺 (daiva)
• Oriya: ଶୟତାନ (śôyôtanô)
• Ossetian: хӕйрӕг (xæjræg)
• Ottoman Turkish: شیطان‎ (şeytan)
• Pashto: شيطان‎ (ps) m (šaytān), ابليس‎ (ps) m (eblis)
• Persian: دیو‎ (fa) (div), ابلیس‎ (fa) (eblis), شیطان‎ (fa) (šeytân)
• Polish: diabeł (pl) m, bies (pl) m, czart (pl) m, czort (pl) m, ciort m, kaduk m (archaic), licho (pl) n, kusy (pl) m
• Portuguese: diabo (pt) m
• Punjabi: ਸ਼ੈਤਾਨ (pa) (śaitān)
• Quechua: supay (qu)
• Romani: beng m
• Romanian: drac (ro) m, diavol (ro) m, satană (ro) f, demon (ro) m, michiduță (ro) m
• Romansch: diavel m
• Russian: чёрт (ru) m (čort), дья́вол (ru) m (dʹjávol), бес (ru) m (bes), сатана́ (ru) m (sataná) (Satan), шайта́н (ru) m (šajtán) (Muslim)
• Sanskrit: पाप्मन् (sa) m (pāpman), पापीयस् (sa) m (pāpīyas), राक्षस (sa) m (rākṣasa), दानव (sa) m (dānava)
• Sardinian: diàbulu m, diàulu m, diàvulu m
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: вра̑г m, ђа̏во̄ m, ђа̏вао m, ше́јта̄н m (Muslim)

  Roman: vrȃg (sh) m, đȁvō (sh) m, đȁvao (sh) m, šéjtān (sh) m (Muslim)

• Shor: айна
• Sicilian: diàvulu (scn) m
• Sinhalese: යක්ෂයා (yakṣayā)
• Slovak: diabol m, čert (sk) m
• Slovene: vrag (sl) m, hudič (sl) m
• Slovincian: čǻrnï bȯ́u̯g m, djɵ̏·u̯bĕl m
• Somali: sheydaan
• Southern Altai: шайтан (šaytan)
• Spanish: diablo (es) m
• Sundanese: sétan
• Swahili: ibilisi (sw), shetani (sw)
• Swedish: djävul (sv) c, jävel (sv) c
• Tajik: иблис (iblis), шайтон (tg) (šayton)
• Tamil: பேய் (ta) (pēy)
• Tatar: шайтан (tt) (şaytan), иблис (tt) (iblis)
• Telugu: సైతాను (te) (saitānu)
• Thai: ซาตาน (saa-dtaan), ปีศาจ (th) (bpii-sàat), มาร (th) (maan)
• Tibetan: བདུད (bdud)
• Tigrinya: ሰይጣን (säyṭan)
• Turkish: İblis, şeytan (tr)
• Turkmen: şeýtan, iblis
• Udmurt: шайтан (šajtan), пери (peri)
• Ukrainian: чорт m (čort), біс (uk) m (bis), дия́вол (uk) m (dyjávol), ді́дько m (dídʹko), сатана́ m (sataná)
• Urdu: شیطان‎ m (śaitān), ابلیس‎ (ur) m (iblīs)
• Uyghur: شەيتان‎ (sheytan), ئىبلىس‎ (iblis)
• Uzbek: shayton (uz), iblis (uz)
• Venetian: diavoło, diol, diauło, diaolo, diaoło, diaol, dial
• Vietnamese: ma (vi) (魔), quỷ (vi) (鬼 (vi))
• Volapük: (♂♀) diab (vo), (♂) hidiab, (♀) jidiab (vo), (obsolete) devel
• Walloon: diåle (wa) m
• Welsh: diafol m
• West Frisian: duvel
• Yiddish: טײַוול‎ m (tayvl), שׂטן‎ m (sotn), שד‎ m (shed), רוח‎ m (ruekh), נישט־גוטער‎ m (nisht-guter)

• Defenition of the word devil

  • Title given to the supernatural being, who is believed to be a powerful, evil entity and the tempter of humankind.
  • To make someone rather angry or impatient; to cause annoyance.
  • cause annoyance in; disturb, esp. by minor irritations: «Mosquitoes buzzing in my ear really bothers me»; «It irritates me that she never closes the door after she leaves»
  • coat or stuff with a spicy paste: «devilled eggs»
  • a word used in exclamations of confusion; «what the devil» or «the deuce with it» or «the dickens you say»
  • one of the evil spirits of traditional Jewish and Christian belief
  • a rowdy or mischievous person (usually a young man); «he chased the young hellions out of his yard»
  • a cruel wicked and inhuman person
  • (Judeo-Christian religion) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell
  • a word used in exclamations of confusion; «what the devil»; «the deuce with it»; «the dickens you say»
  • (Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell
  • coat or stuff with a spicy paste; «devilled eggs»
  • cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations; «Mosquitoes buzzing in my ear really bothers me»; «It irritates me that she never closes the door after she leaves»
  • a word used in exclamations of confusion
  • an evil supernatural being
  • a rowdy or mischievous person (usually a young man)
  • coat or stuff with a spicy paste
  • cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations

Synonyms for the word devil

• • annoy
  • Beelzebub
  • bother
  • daemon
  • daimon
  • demon
  • deuce
  • Devil
  • dickens
  • fiend
  • get at
  • get to
  • gravel
  • heller
  • hellion
  • irritate
  • Lucifer
  • monster
  • nark
  • nettle
  • ogre
  • Old Nick
  • Prince of Darkness
  • rag
  • rile
  • Satan
  • the Devil
  • the Tempter
  • vex

Hyponyms for the word devil

• • antagonise
  • antagonize
  • beset
  • chevvy
  • chevy
  • chivvy
  • chivy
  • demoniac
  • dibbuk
  • dybbuk
  • eat into
  • fret
  • get
  • get under one’s skin
  • grate
  • harass
  • harry
  • hassle
  • incubus
  • molest
  • peeve
  • plague
  • provoke
  • rankle
  • ruffle
  • succuba
  • succubus

Hypernyms for the word devil

• • bad hat
  • cook
  • disagreeable person
  • displease
  • evil spirit
  • exclaiming
  • exclamation
  • fix
  • make
  • mischief-maker
  • prepare
  • ready
  • spiritual being
  • supernatural being
  • trouble maker
  • troublemaker
  • troubler
  • unpleasant person

Antonyms for the word devil

• • angel
  • god

See other words

• • What is deserter
  • The definition of desert
  • The interpretation of the word descendant
  • What is meant by derringer
  • The lexical meaning derby
  • The dictionary meaning of the word deposit
  • The grammatical meaning of the word departure
  • Meaning of the word denim
  • Literal and figurative meaning of the word den
  • The origin of the word devise
  • Synonym for the word devourer
  • Antonyms for the word dew
  • Homonyms for the word dexterity
  • Hyponyms for the word diaclasis
  • Holonyms for the word dial
  • Hypernyms for the word dialect
  • Proverbs and sayings for the word dialogue
  • Translation of the word in other languages diaper

dev·il

 (dĕv′əl)

n.

1. often Devil In many religions, the major personified spirit of evil, ruler of Hell, and foe of God. Used with the.

2. A subordinate evil spirit; a demon.

3. A wicked or malevolent person.

4. A person: a handsome devil; the poor devil.

5. An energetic, mischievous, daring, or clever person.

6. Printing A printer’s devil.

7. A device or machine, especially one having teeth or spikes and used for tearing.

8. An outstanding example, especially of something difficult or bad: has a devil of a temper.

9. A severe reprimand or expression of anger: gave me the devil for cutting class.

10. Informal Used as an intensive: Who the devil do you think you are?

tr.v. dev·iled, dev·il·ing, dev·ils or dev·illed or dev·il·ling

1. To season (food) heavily.

2. To annoy, torment, or harass.

3. To tear up (cloth or rags) in a toothed machine.

Idioms:

between the devil and the deep blue sea

Between two equally unacceptable choices.

full of the devil

Very energetic, mischievous, daring, or clever.

give the devil his due

To give credit to a disagreeable or malevolent person.

go to the devil

1. To be unsuccessful; fail.

2. To become depraved.

3. Used in the imperative to express anger or impatience.

play the devil with

To upset or ruin.

the devil take the hindmost

Let each person follow self-interest, leaving others to fare as they may.

the devil to pay

Trouble to be faced as a result of an action: There’ll be the devil to pay if you allow the piglets inside the house.

---

[Middle English devel, from Old English dēofol, from Latin diabolus, from Late Greek diabolos, from Greek, slanderer, from diaballein, to slander : dia-, dia- + ballein, to hurl; see g^welə- in Indo-European roots.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

devil

(ˈdɛvəl)

n

1. (Theology) theol (often capital) the chief spirit of evil and enemy of God, often represented as the ruler of hell and often depicted as a human figure with horns, cloven hoofs, and tail

2. (Theology) theol one of the subordinate evil spirits of traditional Jewish and Christian belief

3. (Judaism) theol one of the subordinate evil spirits of traditional Jewish and Christian belief

4. a person or animal regarded as cruel, wicked, or ill-natured

5. a person or animal regarded as unfortunate or wretched: that poor devil was ill for months.

6. a person or animal regarded as clever, daring, mischievous, or energetic

7. informal something difficult or annoying

8. (Christian Churches, other) Christian Science the opposite of truth; an error, lie, or false belief in sin, sickness, and death

9. (in Malaysia) a ghost

10. (Civil Engineering) a portable furnace or brazier, esp one used in road-making or one used by plumbers. Compare salamander⁷

11. (Mechanical Engineering) any of various mechanical devices, usually with teeth, such as a machine for making wooden screws or a rag-tearing machine

12. (Printing, Lithography & Bookbinding) See printer’s devil

13. (Law) law (in England) a junior barrister who does work for another in order to gain experience, usually for a half fee

14. (Physical Geography) meteorol a small whirlwind in arid areas that raises dust or sand in a column

15. between the devil and the deep blue sea between equally undesirable alternatives

16. devil of informal (intensifier): a devil of a fine horse.

17. give the devil his due to acknowledge the talent or the success of an opponent or unpleasant person

18. go to the devil

a. to fail or become dissipated

b. (interjection) used to express annoyance with the person causing it

19. like the devil with great speed, determination, etc

20. play the devil with informal to make much worse; upset considerably: the damp plays the devil with my rheumatism.

21. raise the devil

a. to cause a commotion

b. to make a great protest

22. talk of the devil! speak of the devil! (interjection) used when an absent person who has been the subject of conversation appears

23. the devil! (intensifier)

a. used in such phrases as what the devil, where the devil, etc

b. an exclamation of anger, surprise, disgust, etc

24. the devil’s own a very difficult or problematic (thing)

25. the devil take the hindmost let the devil take the hindmost look after oneself and leave others to their fate

26. the devil to pay problems or trouble to be faced as a consequence of an action

27. the very devil something very difficult or awkward

vb, -vils, -villing or -villed, -vils, -viling or -viled

28. (Cookery) (tr) to prepare (esp meat, poultry, or fish) by coating with a highly flavoured spiced paste or mixture of condiments before cooking

29. (Textiles) (tr) to tear (rags) with a devil

30. (Printing, Lithography & Bookbinding) (intr) to serve as a printer’s devil

31. (Tools) (intr) to serve as a printer’s devil

32. (Professions) (intr) chiefly Brit to do hackwork, esp for a lawyer or author; perform arduous tasks, often without pay or recognition of one’s services

33. (tr) informal US to harass, vex, torment, etc

[Old English dēofol, from Latin diabolus, from Greek diabolos enemy, accuser, slanderer, from diaballein, literally: to throw across, hence, to slander]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

dev•il

(ˈdɛv əl)

n., v. -iled, -il•ing (esp. Brit.) -illed, -il•ling. n.

1.

a. (sometimes cap.) the supreme spirit of evil; Satan.

b. a subordinate evil spirit at enmity with God.

2. a wicked, cruel person.

3. a clever or mischievous person.

4. a person: The lucky devil won the grand prize.

5. Also called printer’s devil. a young worker below the level of apprentice in a printing office.

6. any of various devices, often with projecting teeth.

7. the devil, (used as an expletive or mild oath): What the devil do you mean?

v.t.

8. to annoy; harass.

9. to prepare with hot or savory seasonings.

Idioms:

1. give the devil his due, to acknowledge the accomplishments of someone otherwise considered unworthy.

2. go to the devil, to become depraved.

3. the devil to pay, trouble to be faced as an aftermath.

[before 900; Middle English devel, Old English dēofol < Late Latin diabolus < Greek diábolos Satan (Septuagint, NT), literally, slanderer (n.), slanderous (adj.), derivative of diabállein to assault someone’s character, literally, to throw across =dia- dia- + bállein to throw]

Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

Devil

a person who denies the existence of the devil.

1. belief in or worship of the devil.
2. Theology. an action aided or prompted by the devil; sorcery; witchcraft. — diabolist, n.

1. the study of the devil.
2. devil lore.

the beliefs of the Izedis, a Mesopotamian sect said to worship the devil. Also Yezdism, Yezidism. — Izedi, Yezdi, Yezidi, n.

belief in the existence of only one devil. Cf. polydiabolism.

a Gnostic doctrine that the material world expresses the personality of Satan.

the belief that many devils exist. Cf. monodiabolism.

1. the worship of Satan or evil powers.
2. a parody of Christian ceremonies in which the devil is worshiped. — Satanist, n.

the appearance of Satan on earth.

Izedism.

-Ologies & -Isms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

devil

Past participle: devilled
Gerund: devilling

Imperative
devil
devil

Present
I devil
you devil
he/she/it devils
we devil
you devil
they devil

Preterite
I devilled
you devilled
he/she/it devilled
we devilled
you devilled
they devilled

Present Continuous
I am devilling
you are devilling
he/she/it is devilling
we are devilling
you are devilling
they are devilling

Present Perfect
I have devilled
you have devilled
he/she/it has devilled
we have devilled
you have devilled
they have devilled

Past Continuous
I was devilling
you were devilling
he/she/it was devilling
we were devilling
you were devilling
they were devilling

Past Perfect
I had devilled
you had devilled
he/she/it had devilled
we had devilled
you had devilled
they had devilled

Future
I will devil
you will devil
he/she/it will devil
we will devil
you will devil
they will devil

Future Perfect
I will have devilled
you will have devilled
he/she/it will have devilled
we will have devilled
you will have devilled
they will have devilled

Future Continuous
I will be devilling
you will be devilling
he/she/it will be devilling
we will be devilling
you will be devilling
they will be devilling

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been devilling
you have been devilling
he/she/it has been devilling
we have been devilling
you have been devilling
they have been devilling

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been devilling
you will have been devilling
he/she/it will have been devilling
we will have been devilling
you will have been devilling
they will have been devilling

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been devilling
you had been devilling
he/she/it had been devilling
we had been devilling
you had been devilling
they had been devilling

Conditional
I would devil
you would devil
he/she/it would devil
we would devil
you would devil
they would devil

Past Conditional
I would have devilled
you would have devilled
he/she/it would have devilled
we would have devilled
you would have devilled
they would have devilled

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

devil

To coat food with a mixture of highly seasoned ingredients (e.g. mustard or hot spices).

Dictionary of Unfamiliar Words by Diagram Group Copyright © 2008 by Diagram Visual Information Limited

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

What do we mean by devil?

In many religions, the major personified spirit of evil, ruler of Hell, and foe of God. Used with the. noun

A subordinate evil spirit; a demon. noun

A wicked or malevolent person. noun

A person. noun

An energetic, mischievous, daring, or clever person. noun

A printer’s devil. noun

A device or machine, especially one having teeth or spikes and used for tearing. noun

An outstanding example, especially of something difficult or bad. noun

A severe reprimand or expression of anger. noun

Used as an intensive. noun

To season (food) heavily. transitive verb

To annoy, torment, or harass. transitive verb

To tear up (cloth or rags) in a toothed machine. transitive verb

(between the devil and the deep blue sea) Between two equally unacceptable choices. idiom

(full of the devil) Very energetic, mischievous, daring, or clever. idiom

(give the devil his due) To give credit to a disagreeable or malevolent person. idiom

(go to the devil) To be unsuccessful; fail. idiom

(go to the devil) To become depraved. idiom

(go to the devil) Used in the imperative to express anger or impatience. idiom

(play the devil with) To upset or ruin. idiom

An evil creature.

(with article) The chief devil; Satan.

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.

(with an article, as an intensifier) 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.

(Christian Science) An evil or erring entity.

(in compounds) 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.

The excuse for everything bad you do in your life. Urban Dictionary

Arch Angel Lucifer
As a biproduct of Lucifers jealously of god, he was cast out of heaven and took 1/3 of all angels with him. These 1/3 angels were damned willingly and unfaithfully to god. Lucifer was holy but angels too can go on their own volition, thus becoming fallen angels but unlike humans, cannot be redeemed like human kind. Urban Dictionary

An authority figure who takes pleasure in tormenting his/her underlings. Urban Dictionary

George W. Bush — President Of the U.S. of A. Urban Dictionary

Devil(Satan, etc.)is the enemy.He stands for chaos as god stands for order, it represents rebbellion in opposition to god who represents oppression. In christian mythology Devil was an angel, damned for His disobedience Urban Dictionary

Ben Franklin is the devil, Originated from «The Waterboy» Movie. Urban Dictionary

1:An Exiled Arch Angel that tryed to be Equal to God.
2:The One that cause all the problems in life.
3:Another name for Lucifer. Urban Dictionary

The number «666» by itself or in combination with other numbers. A shorthand way of saying «666» when the number is combined with other numbers, as in «one-devil-five-nine-two-eight» for «16665928». Urban Dictionary

God when he’s drunk (Robin Williams) Urban Dictionary

A female tiem of month can be called the devil Urban Dictionary

A Devil is an evil spirit in Abrahamic religion. In Judaism and Christianity the term devil is synonymous with both demon and fiend.^[1][2][3] In Christianity, when the word devil is capitalized it can be used as a title for Satan.^[1][3][4] In Islam the word devil used for shaitan,^[5] which are described as unbelieving jinn.^[6] Devil can also be a title for Satan in Islam.^[5][6]

Etymology

The word devil began as a title or term for Satan by Greek speaking Christians and Jews.^[7] The term satan in Hebrew means «the accuser,^[8]» so Greek speaking Jews and Christians would use the word διαβάλλω (diabállō), derived from the word διαβάλλειν (diaballein), meaning «to slander, to attack, or to throw across, to scatter,» to describe Satan.^[7]

In early Christian bibles the term διαβάλλω (diabállō) was specifically used to describe Satan while, δαίμων (daimōn) was used to describe demons.^[7][9] In English and German bibles the terms were merged, creating the meaning most commonly used today.^[7]

Modern Depictions

• In DnD and Pathfinder, devils are lawful evil,^[10] but demons are chaotic evil.^[11]
• The football club Manchester United is nicknamed as Red Devils.
• In Dragon Ball demon is the generic term for all infernal species alongside bad youkai, oni, and majin, but devils are just evil incarnations.

List of individuals who bear Devil title

• Aeshma
• Ahriman
• Asmodeus
• Astaroth
• Azazel
• Baphomet
• Beelzebub
• Belial
• Choronzon
• Al-Ḥāriṯ
• Krampus
• Lilith
• Lucifer
• Mara
• Marra
• Mastema
• Mephistopheles
• Samael
• Satan

References

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Devil Definition & Meaning — Merriam-Webster
2. ↑ https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/devil
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/devil
4. ↑ https://www.dictionary.com/browse/devil
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} https://www.lexico.com/definition/shaitan
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} shaitan | Islamic mythology | Britannica
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3} https://www.etymonline.com/word/devil
8. ↑ https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Satan
9. ↑ https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/diabolo
10. ↑ https://online.anyflip.com/duex/ixpz/mobile/index.html#p=66
11. ↑ https://online.anyflip.com/duex/ixpz/mobile/index.html#p=51

External links

• Devil — Britannica

1	0   0 Old English deofol «evil spirit, a devil, the devil, false god, diabolical person,» from Late Latin diabolus (also the source of Italian diavolo, French diable, Spanish diablo; German Teufel [..]

2	0   0 devil Devil [N] [B] [S](Gr. diabolos), a slanderer, the arch-enemy of man’s spiritual interest ( Job 1:6 ; Revelation 2:10 ; Zechariah 3:1 ). He is called also «the accuser of the brethen» ( [..]

3	0   0 devil Same as dust whirl, dust devil.

4	0   0 devil Satan: (Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell annoy: cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations; &a [..]

5	0   0 devil an evil spirit. The word is often used to describe a wicked or cruel person

6	0   0 devil Christian synonym for Satan: an all-evil former angel. He is regarded by most progressive Christians as a mythical being who symbolizes evil. He is regarded by most conservative Christians as an ex [..]

7	0   0 devil (Gr. diabolos), a slanderer, the arch-enemy of man’s spiritual interest (Job 1:6; Rev. 2:10; Zech. 3:1). He is called also «the accuser of the brethen» (Rev. 12:10).In Lev. 17:7 the wor [..]

8	0   0 devil (slanderer). The name describes Satan as slandering God to man and man to God. The former work is of course, a part of his great work of temptation to evil and is not only exemplified but illustrated [..]

9	0   0 devil sotn

10	0   0 devil tayvl (tayvolim)

11

0   0 devil For farmers to dream of the devil, denotes blasted crops and death among stock, also family sickness. Sporting people should heed this dream as a warning to be careful of their affairs, as they are likely to venture beyond the laws of their State. For a preacher, this dream is undeniable proof that he is over-zealous, and should forebear worshiping [..]

12	0   0 devil To mix a food with spicy seasonings and sauces. Devilled eggs are an example.

13	0   0 devil A machine for loosening the raw fibres.

14	0   0 devil The personification of evil.

15	0   0 devil To combine a Jamaican food with various hot or spicy Jamaican seasonings such as red pepper or jerk sauce, thereby creating a "deviled" dish. T

16	0   0 devil A term describing food that is combined with various other spicy seasonings such as Tabasco sauce or red peppers and thereby creating a “deviled” dish.

17	0   0 devil (n) (Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell(n) an evil supernatural being(n) a word used in exclamations of confusion(n [..]

18	0   0 devil diabolus

19	0   0 devil Represented with a cloven foot, because by the Rabbinical writers he is called seirissim (a goat). As the goat is a type of uncleanness, the prince of unclean spirits is aptly represented under this e [..]

20	0   0 devil in legal parlance, is a leader’s fag who gets up the facts of a brief, with the laws bearing on it, and arranges everything for the pleader in methodical order.

21	0   0 devil Deck seam between ship’s side and outboard line of planking.

22	0   0 devil Caulker’s name for the seam in the upper deck planking next to a ship’s waterways. There was very little space to get at this seam, making it a difficult and awkward job. This is the origin [..]

23	0   0 devil Caulker’s name for the seam in the upper deck planking next to a ship’s waterways. There was very little space to get at this seam, making it a difficult and awkward job. This is the origin [..]

24	0   0 devil to prepare with spicy seasoning or sauce, for instance mustard and cayenne.

25	0   0 devil to prepare with spicy seasoning or sauce, for instance mustard and cayenne.

26	0   0 devil The author of all our woes and proprietor of all the good things of this world. demons and devils partying

27

0   0 devil The Devil is the name given to a supernatural entity who, in most Western religions, is the central embodiment of evil. This entity is commonly referred to by a variety of other names, including Satan, Asmodai, Beelzebub, Lucifer and/or Mephistopheles. In classic demonology, however, each of these alternate names refers to a specific supernatural e [..]

28	0   0 devil The treble-6, so called due to ‘666’, and the fact that it is often hit in error when going for treble-13 or treble-10.

29	0   0 devil 1. Supreme spirit of evil and enemy of god. 2. Superhuman malignant being or very bad person.

30	0   0 devil (theology) The chief devil; Satan.

31	0   0 devil [[3@Sfhead-PalmForward Hook]]

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