devil

Devil
    n 1: (Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of
         evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of
         Hell [syn: {Satan}, {Old Nick}, {Devil}, {Lucifer},
         {Beelzebub}, {the Tempter}, {Prince of Darkness}]
    2: an evil supernatural being [syn: {devil}, {fiend}, {demon},
       {daemon}, {daimon}]
    3: a word used in exclamations of confusion; "what the devil";
       "the deuce with it"; "the dickens you say" [syn: {devil},
       {deuce}, {dickens}]
    4: a rowdy or mischievous person (usually a young man); "he
       chased the young hellions out of his yard" [syn: {hellion},
       {heller}, {devil}]
    5: a cruel wicked and inhuman person [syn: {monster}, {fiend},
       {devil}, {demon}, {ogre}]
    v 1: 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" [syn: {annoy}, {rag}, {get to}, {bother}, {get
         at}, {irritate}, {rile}, {nark}, {nettle}, {gravel}, {vex},
         {chafe}, {devil}]
    2: coat or stuff with a spicy paste; "devilled eggs"
    

Twilly \Twil"ly\, n. [Cf. {Willy}.]
   A machine for cleansing or loosening wool by the action of a
   revolving cylinder covered with long iron spikes or teeth; a
   willy or willying machine; -- called also {twilly devil}, and
   {devil}. See {Devil}, n., 6, and {Willy}. --Tomlinson.
   [1913 Webster]
    

Willow \Wil"low\, n. [OE. wilowe, wilwe, AS. wilig, welig; akin
   to OD. wilge, D. wilg, LG. wilge. Cf. {Willy}.]
   [1913 Webster]
   1. (Bot.) Any tree or shrub of the genus {Salix}, including
      many species, most of which are characterized often used
      as an emblem of sorrow, desolation, or desertion. "A
      wreath of willow to show my forsaken plight." --Sir W.
      Scott. Hence, a lover forsaken by, or having lost, the
      person beloved, is said to wear the willow.
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            And I must wear the willow garland
            For him that's dead or false to me.   --Campbell.
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   2. (Textile Manuf.) A machine in which cotton or wool is
      opened and cleansed by the action of long spikes
      projecting from a drum which revolves within a box studded
      with similar spikes; -- probably so called from having
      been originally a cylindrical cage made of willow rods,
      though some derive the term from winnow, as denoting the
      winnowing, or cleansing, action of the machine. Called
      also {willy}, {twilly}, {twilly devil}, and {devil}.
      [1913 Webster]

   {Almond willow}, {Pussy willow}, {Weeping willow}. (Bot.) See
      under {Almond}, {Pussy}, and {Weeping}.

   {Willow biter} (Zool.) the blue tit. [Prov. Eng.]

   {Willow fly} (Zool.), a greenish European stone fly
      ({Chloroperla viridis}); -- called also {yellow Sally}.

   {Willow gall} (Zool.), a conical, scaly gall produced on
      willows by the larva of a small dipterous fly ({Cecidomyia
      strobiloides}).

   {Willow grouse} (Zool.), the white ptarmigan. See
      {ptarmigan}.

   {Willow lark} (Zool.), the sedge warbler. [Prov. Eng.]

   {Willow ptarmigan} (Zool.)
      (a) The European reed bunting, or black-headed bunting.
          See under {Reed}.
      (b) A sparrow ({Passer salicicolus}) native of Asia,
          Africa, and Southern Europe.

   {Willow tea}, the prepared leaves of a species of willow
      largely grown in the neighborhood of Shanghai, extensively
      used by the poorer classes of Chinese as a substitute for
      tea. --McElrath.

   {Willow thrush} (Zool.), a variety of the veery, or Wilson's
      thrush. See {Veery}.

   {Willow warbler} (Zool.), a very small European warbler
      ({Phylloscopus trochilus}); -- called also {bee bird},
      {haybird}, {golden wren}, {pettychaps}, {sweet William},
      {Tom Thumb}, and {willow wren}.
      [1913 Webster]
    

devil \dev"il\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Deviled}or {Devilled}; p.
   pr. & vb. n. {Deviling}or {Devilling}.]
   1. To make like a devil; to invest with the character of a
      devil.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. To grill with Cayenne pepper; to season highly in cooking,
      as with pepper.
      [1913 Webster]

            A deviled leg of turkey.              --W. Irving.
      Devil-diver
    

Devil \Dev"il\, n. [AS. de['o]fol, de['o]ful; akin to G. ?eufel,
   Goth. diaba['u]lus; all fr. L. diabolus the devil, Gr. ? the
   devil, the slanderer, fr. ? to slander, calumniate, orig., to
   throw across; ? across + ? to throw, let fall, fall; cf. Skr.
   gal to fall. Cf. {Diabolic}.]
   1. The Evil One; Satan, represented as the tempter and
      spiritual of mankind.
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            [Jesus] being forty days tempted of the devil.
                                                  --Luke iv. 2.
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            That old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which
            deceiveth the whole world.            --Rev. xii. 9.
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   2. An evil spirit; a demon.
      [1913 Webster]

            A dumb man possessed with a devil.    --Matt. ix.
                                                  32.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. A very wicked person; hence, any great evil. "That devil
      Glendower." "The devil drunkenness." --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

            Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a
            devil?                                --John vi. 70.
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   4. An expletive of surprise, vexation, or emphasis, or,
      ironically, of negation. [Low]
      [1913 Webster]

            The devil a puritan that he is, . . . but a
            timepleaser.                          --Shak.
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            The things, we know, are neither rich nor rare,
            But wonder how the devil they got there. --Pope.
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   5. (Cookery) A dish, as a bone with the meat, broiled and
      excessively peppered; a grill with Cayenne pepper.
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            Men and women busy in baking, broiling, roasting
            oysters, and preparing devils on the gridiron. --Sir
                                                  W. Scott.
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   6. (Manuf.) A machine for tearing or cutting rags, cotton,
      etc.
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   {Blue devils}. See under {Blue}.

   {Cartesian devil}. See under {Cartesian}.

   {Devil bird} (Zool.), one of two or more South African drongo
      shrikes ({Edolius retifer}, and {Edolius remifer}),
      believed by the natives to be connected with sorcery.

   {Devil may care}, reckless, defiant of authority; -- used
      adjectively. --Longfellow.

   {Devil's apron} (Bot.), the large kelp ({Laminaria
      saccharina}, and {Laminaria longicruris}) of the Atlantic
      ocean, having a blackish, leathery expansion, shaped
      somewhat like an apron.

   {Devil's coachhorse}. (Zool.)
      (a) The black rove beetle ({Ocypus olens}). [Eng.]
      (b) A large, predacious, hemipterous insect ({Prionotus
          cristatus}); the wheel bug. [U.S.]

   {Devil's darning-needle}. (Zool.) See under {Darn}, v. t.

   {Devil's fingers}, {Devil's hand} (Zool.), the common British
      starfish ({Asterias rubens}); -- also applied to a sponge
      with stout branches. [Prov. Eng., Irish & Scot.]

   {Devil's riding-horse} (Zool.), the American mantis ({Mantis
      Carolina}).

   {The Devil's tattoo}, a drumming with the fingers or feet.
      "Jack played the Devil's tattoo on the door with his boot
      heels." --F. Hardman (Blackw. Mag.).

   {Devil worship}, worship of the power of evil; -- still
      practiced by barbarians who believe that the good and evil
      forces of nature are of equal power.

   {Printer's devil}, the youngest apprentice in a printing
      office, who runs on errands, does dirty work (as washing
      the ink rollers and sweeping), etc. "Without fearing the
      printer's devil or the sheriff's officer." --Macaulay.

   {Tasmanian devil} (Zool.), a very savage carnivorous
      marsupial of Tasmania ({Dasyurus ursinus} syn. {Diabolus
      ursinus}).

   {To play devil with}, to molest extremely; to ruin. [Low]
      [1913 Webster]
    

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 word "devil" is the translation of the Hebrew
_sair_, meaning a "goat" or "satyr" (Isa. 13:21; 34:14),
alluding to the wood-daemons, the objects of idolatrous worship
among the heathen.

  In Deut. 32:17 and Ps. 106:37 it is the translation of Hebrew
_shed_, meaning lord, and idol, regarded by the Jews as a
"demon," as the word is rendered in the Revised Version.

  In the narratives of the Gospels regarding the "casting out of
devils" a different Greek word (daimon) is used. In the time of
our Lord there were frequent cases of demoniacal possession
(Matt. 12:25-30; Mark 5:1-20; Luke 4:35; 10:18, etc.).
    

351 Moby Thesaurus words for "devil":
      Abaddon, Apollyon, Baba Yaga, Beelzebub, Belial, Bowery bum,
      Lilith, Linotyper, Lucifer, Mafioso, Mephistopheles, Old Nick,
      Old Scratch, Satan, Succubus, Xanthippe, Young Turk, adventurer,
      adventuress, adversary, afreet, aggravate, annoy, antagonist,
      ape-man, apprentice printer, archenemy, bad boy, badger, bait,
      bake, barbarian, barbecue, barghest, baste, be at, beachcomber,
      beast, bedevil, beggar, beggarly fellow, beldam, berserk,
      berserker, beset, bitter enemy, blackguard, blanch, blighter,
      bloke, boil, bomber, booger, bother, braise, bravo, brazenface,
      brew, bristle, broil, brown, brown off, brute, bucko, budmash,
      buffoon, bug, bugger, bully, bullyboy, bullyrag, bum, bummer,
      burn up, cacodemon, caitiff, chap, chivy, coddle, compositor,
      con artist, con man, confidence man, confoundedly, cook, crone,
      curry, cutthroat, cutup, daeva, daredevil, demon, derelict,
      desperado, deuce, deucedly, devil incarnate, diablo, discompose,
      distemper, disturb, do, do to perfection, dog, dragon, drifter,
      drunkard, dust storm, dybbuk, electrotyper, elf, enemy,
      enfant terrible, evil genius, evil spirit, exasperate, exceedingly,
      excessively, exercise, extremely, fash, fellow, fiend,
      fiend from hell, fire, fire-eater, firebrand, foe, foeman, fox,
      fricassee, frizz, frizzle, fry, funmaker, fury, genie, genius, get,
      ghoul, good-for-naught, good-for-nothing, goon, gorilla, griddle,
      grill, gripe, gunman, gunsel, guy, gyre, hag, harass, hardnose,
      harmattan, harpy, harry, harum-scarum, heat, heckle, hector,
      hell-raiser, hellcat, hellhound, hellion, hellkite, hobo,
      holy terror, hood, hoodlum, hooligan, hothead, hotspur, hound,
      human wreck, imp, in hell, in the world, incendiary, incubus, irk,
      jinni, jinniyeh, joker, jokester, keyboarder, khamsin, killer,
      knave, lamia, limb, little devil, little monkey, little rascal,
      lowlife, mad dog, madbrain, madcap, makeup man, mauvais sujet,
      mean wretch, miff, minx, mischief, mischief-maker, molest, monster,
      mucker, mugger, nag, needle, nettle, no-good, nudzh, ogre, ogress,
      open enemy, operator, oven-bake, pan, pan-broil, parboil,
      pauvre diable, peesash, peeve, persecute, person, pester, pick on,
      pilgarlic, pique, pixie, plague, pluck the beard, poach,
      poor creature, poor devil, pother, practical joker, prankster,
      precious rascal, prepare, prepare food, pressman, printer, proofer,
      provoke, public enemy, puck, rake, rakehell, rakshasa, rantipole,
      rapist, rapscallion, rascal, revolutionary, ride, rile, roast,
      rogue, roil, rough, rowdy, ruffian, ruffle, sad case, sad sack,
      samiel, sandstorm, satan, saute, savage, scalawag, scallop, scamp,
      scapegrace, scoundrel, sear, serpent, shaitan, she-wolf, shedu,
      shirr, shrew, shyster, simmer, simoom, sirocco, skid-row bum,
      sly dog, slyboots, smoothie, sneak, sod, spalpeen, speedily,
      spitfire, steam, stereotyper, stew, stiff, stir-fry, stoneman,
      succubus, sundowner, swagman, sworn enemy, tease, termagant,
      terror, terrorist, the undead, thug, tiger, tigress, toast,
      torment, tough, tough guy, tramp, trickster, truant,
      try the patience, tweak the nose, typesetter, typographer,
      ugly customer, unfortunate, vag, vagabond, vagrant, vampire,
      vaurien, vex, villain, violent, violently, virago, vixen, wag,
      wastrel, werewolf, wild beast, wild man, witch, wolf, worry,
      worthless fellow, wretch, yogini

    

DEVIL

see Old Nic.