DEVIL


Meaning of DEVIL in English

(~s)

1.

In Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, the Devil is the most powerful evil spirit.

= Satan

N-PROPER: the N

2.

A ~ is an evil spirit.

...the idea of angels with wings and ~s with horns and hoofs.

= demon

N-COUNT

3.

You can use ~ to emphasize the way you feel about someone. For example, if you call someone a poor ~, you are saying that you feel sorry for them. You can call someone you are fond of but who sometimes annoys or irritates you an old ~ or a little ~. (INFORMAL)

I felt sorry for Blake, poor ~...

N-COUNT feelings

4.

If you say that you are between the ~ and the deep blue sea, you mean that you are in a difficult situation where you have to choose between two equally unpleasant courses of action.

PHRASE: v-link PHR

5.

People say speak of the ~, or in British English talk of the ~, if someone they have just been talking about appears unexpectedly.

Well, talk of the ~!

PHRASE

6.

When you want to emphasize how annoyed or surprised you are, you can use an expression such as what the ~, how the ~, or why the ~. (INFORMAL)

‘What the ~’s the matter?’

PHRASE emphasis

Collins COBUILD.      Толковый словарь английского языка для изучающих язык Коллинз COBUILD (международная база данных языков Бирмингемского университета) .