DEVIL


Meaning of DEVIL in English

■ noun

1》 (usu. the Devil ) (in Christian and Jewish belief) the supreme spirit of evil; Satan.

↘an evil spirit; a demon.

2》 a very wicked or cruel person.

↘a mischievously clever or self-willed person.

3》 ( the ~ ) fighting spirit; wildness: he was born with the ~ in him.

4》 ( the ~ ) a thing that is very difficult or awkward to do or deal with.

5》 informal a person with specified characteristics: you lucky ~.

6》 ( the ~ ) expressing surprise or annoyance in various questions or exclamations.

7》 an instrument or machine used for tearing or other destructive work.

8》 informal, dated a junior assistant of a barrister or other professional. See also printer's ~ .

■ verb ( ~s , ~ling , ~led ; US ~s , ~ing , ~ed )

1》 informal, dated act as a junior assistant for a barrister or other professional.

2》 N. Amer. harass or worry.

Phrases

be a ~! Brit. informal said when encouraging someone to do something that they are hesitating to do.

between the ~ and the deep blue sea caught in a dilemma.

~-may-care cheerful and reckless.

the ~'s dozen thirteen.

the ~'s in the detail the details of a matter are its most problematic aspect.

the ~ to pay serious trouble to be dealt with.

like the ~ with great speed or energy.

play the ~ with have a damaging or disruptive effect on.

speak (or talk ) of the ~ said when a person appears just after being mentioned. [from the superstition that the ~ will appear if his name is spoken.]

Origin

OE dēofol , via late L. from Gk diabolos 'accuser, slanderer' (used in the Septuagint to translate Heb. śāṭān 'Satan'), from diaballein 'to slander'.

Concise Oxford English vocab.      Сжатый оксфордский словарь английского языка.