n. [ AS. deófol, deóful; akin to G. &unr_;eufel, Goth. diabaúlus; all fr. L. diabolus the devil, Gr. &unr_; the devil, the slanderer, fr. &unr_; to slander, calumniate, orig., to throw across; &unr_; across + &unr_; 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ Jesus ] being forty days tempted of the devil. Luke iv. 2. [ 1913 Webster ]

That old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world. Rev. xii. 9. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

The things, we know, are neither rich nor rare,
But wonder how the devil they got there. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Cookery) A dish, as a bone with the meat, broiled and excessively peppered; a grill with Cayenne pepper. [ 1913 Webster ]

Men and women busy in baking, broiling, roasting oysters, and preparing devils on the gridiron. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Manuf.) A machine for tearing or cutting rags, cotton, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

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 ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Deviled r Devilled; p. pr. & vb. n. Deviling r 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.

/mhw>, n.. (Zool.) A small water bird. See Dabchick. [ 1913 Webster ]

a hard-boiled egg, sliced into halves and with the yolk removed and replaced with a paste, usually made from the yolk and mayonnaise, seasoned with salt and/or spices such as paprika. [ PJC ]

n. A she-devil. [ R. ] Sterne. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A little devil. [ R. ] Barham. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) (a) A huge ray (Manta birostris or Cephaloptera vampyrus) of the Gulf of Mexico and Southern Atlantic coasts. Several other related species take the same name. See Cephaloptera. (b) A large cephalopod, especially the very large species of Octopus and Architeuthis. See Octopus. (c) The gray whale of the Pacific coast. See Gray whale. (d) The goosefish or angler (Lophius), and other allied fishes. See Angler. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A young devil. [ Obs. ] Beau. & Fl. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Resembling, characteristic of, or pertaining to, the devil; diabolical; wicked in the extreme. “Devilish wickedness.” Sir P. Sidney. [ 1913 Webster ]

This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. James iii. 15. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Extreme; excessive. [ Colloq. ] Dryden.

Syn. -- Diabolical; infernal; hellish; satanic; wicked; malicious; detestable; destructive.

-- Dev"il*ish*ly, adv. -- Dev"il*ish*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state of the devil or of devils; doctrine of the devil or of devils. Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]