Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
2. (Bot.) A sweet white efflorescence from dried fronds of
kelp, especially from those of the {Laminaria saccharina},
or devil's apron.
Tangle \Tan"gle\, n.
1. [Cf. Icel. [thorn]["o]ngull. See {Tang} seaweed.] (Bot.)
Any large blackish seaweed, especially the {Laminaria
saccharina}. See {Kelp}.
Coral and sea fan and tangle, the blooms and the
palms of the ocean. --C. Kingsley.
2. [From {Tangle}, v.] A knot of threads, or other thing,
united confusedly, or so interwoven as not to be easily
disengaged; a snarl; as, hair or yarn in tangles; a tangle
of vines and briers. Used also figuratively.
3. pl. An instrument consisting essentially of an iron bar to
which are attached swabs, or bundles of frayed rope, or
other similar substances, -- used to capture starfishes,
sea urchins, and other similar creatures living at the
bottom of the sea.
{Blue tangle}. (Bot.)See {Dangleberry}.
{Tangle picker} (Zo["o]l.), the turnstone. [Prov. Eng.]
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]