deviltryn.
/ˈdɛvltri/, U.S. /ˈdɛv(ə)ltri/ colloquial and regional (originally British regional and North American).
A devilish act or device; wickedness; mischief; = devilry n. (in various senses).
ΘΚΠ
the mind > goodness and badness > badness or evil > diabolicalness > [noun]
devilrya1400
devility1588
devilship1644
devilism1647
diabolicalness1652
diablerie1653
diabolism1660
deviltry1772
demonry1805
diabolicity1861
demonishnessa1930
society > morality > moral evil > wickedness > [noun] > devilish wickedness
devilrya1400
devility1588
devilship1644
devilism1647
diabolicalness1652
diablerie1653
diabolism1660
deviltry1772
demonry1805
diabolicity1861
infernalism1864
demonishnessa1930
1772 T. Nugent tr. J. F. de Isla Hist. Friar Gerund II. v. vi. 343 Flourishes are those intricksies, and tanglements, and wildfires, and deviltries, and trade, with which thou overwhelmedst us all that were hearing thee like a pack of poor ignorant lay-brothers.
1788 Massachusetts Spy 28 Aug. His shoes were made of the leather of hypocrisy, tanned with the bark of presumption, and curried in the shop of deviltry.
1825 J. Neal Brother Jonathan III. 257 All sorts of bloated she things attracted by the sharp odour of his deviltry.
1827 J. F. Cooper Prairie II. i. 3 The imps will lie for hours..brooding their deviltries.
1863 C. Reade Hard Cash III. xiii. 266 Dr. Sampson rushed in furious. ‘There is some deviltry afloat.’
1893 Catholic News 5 Aug. 4/6 Imposture combined with a good deal of deviltry.
1931 Shetland Almanac 185 If I wis ta turn tu an' wraet doon da stoary o' a' da madrim an' deeviltry 'at I'm been connec'it wi' i' my time, I'm shure I wid be able ta set oot a book.
1968 G. Daws Shoal of Time v. 186 There is a spice of deviltry in the fellow's nature.
2007 R. M. Thomas Manitou & God iii. 37 For the Sioux, the headmaster of deviltry is Iya.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2017; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1772