Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

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.

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

            That old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which
            deceiveth the whole world.            --Rev. xii. 9.

   2. An evil spirit; a demon.

            A dumb man possessed with a devil.    --Matt. ix.
                                                  32.

   3. A very wicked person; hence, any great evil. ``That devil
      Glendower.'' ``The devil drunkenness.'' --Shak.

            Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a
            devil?                                --John vi. 70.

   4. An expletive of surprise, vexation, or emphasis, or,
      ironically, of negation. [Low]

            The devil a puritan that he is, . . . but a
            timepleaser.                          --Shak.

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

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

            Men and women busy in baking, broiling, roasting
            oysters, and preparing devils on the gridiron. --Sir
                                                  W. Scott.

   6. (Manuf.) A machine for tearing or cutting rags, cotton,
      etc.

   {Blue devils}. See under {Blue}.

   {Cartesian devil}. See under {Cartesian}.

   {Devil bird} (Zo["o]l.), one of two or more South African
      drongo shrikes ({Edolius retifer}, and {E. 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 {L. longicruris}) of the Atlantic ocean,
      having a blackish, leathery expansion, shaped somewhat
      like an apron.

   {Devil's coachhorse}. (Zo["o]l.)
      (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}. (Zo["o]l.) See under {Darn}, v. t.
      

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

   {Devil's riding-horse} (Zo["o]l.), 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} (Zo["o]l.), a very savage carnivorous
      marsupial of Tasmania ({Dasyurus, or Diabolus, ursinus}).
      

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