evil speaking

Evil \E*vil\ ([=e]"v'l) a. [OE. evel, evil, ifel, uvel, AS.
   yfel; akin to OFries, evel, D. euvel, OS. & OHG. ubil, G.
   ["u]bel, Goth. ubils, and perh. to E. over.]
   1. Having qualities tending to injury and mischief; having a
      nature or properties which tend to badness; mischievous;
      not good; worthless or deleterious; poor; as, an evil
      beast; and evil plant; an evil crop.
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            A good tree can not bring forth evil fruit. --Matt.
                                                  vii. 18.
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   2. Having or exhibiting bad moral qualities; morally corrupt;
      wicked; wrong; vicious; as, evil conduct, thoughts, heart,
      words, and the like.
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            Ah, what a sign it is of evil life,
            When death's approach is seen so terrible. --Shak.
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   3. Producing or threatening sorrow, distress, injury, or
      calamity; unpropitious; calamitous; as, evil tidings; evil
      arrows; evil days.
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            Because he hath brought up an evil name upon a
            virgin of Israel.                     --Deut. xxii.
                                                  19.
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            The owl shrieked at thy birth -- an evil sign.
                                                  --Shak.
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            Evil news rides post, while good news baits.
                                                  --Milton.
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   {Evil eye}, an eye which inflicts injury by some magical or
      fascinating influence. It is still believed by the
      ignorant and superstitious that some persons have the
      supernatural power of injuring by a look.
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            It almost led him to believe in the evil eye. --J.
                                                  H. Newman.

   {Evil speaking}, speaking ill of others; calumny;
      censoriousness.

   {The evil one}, the Devil; Satan.
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   Note: Evil is sometimes written as the first part of a
         compound (with or without a hyphen). In many cases the
         compounding need not be insisted on. Examples: Evil
         doer or evildoer, evil speaking or evil-speaking, evil
         worker, evil wishing, evil-hearted, evil-minded.

   Syn: Mischieveous; pernicious; injurious; hurtful;
        destructive; wicked; sinful; bad; corrupt; perverse;
        wrong; vicious; calamitous.
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