| 释义 |
dev·il
I. \ˈdevəl sometimes -(ˌ)vil, dial or as a mild imprecation ˈdivəl\ noun
(-s)
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Middle English devel, from Old English dēofol, from Late Latin diabolus, from Greek diabolos, literally, slanderer, from diaballein to throw across, discredit, slander, from dia through, across + ballein to throw; akin to Old English collen- bold, Old High German quellan to well, gush, Sanskrit galati it drips — more at dia-
1. sometimes capitalized : the personal supreme spirit of evil and unrighteousness in Jewish and Christian theology : the tempter and spiritual enemy of mankind who is the adversary of God although subordinate to him and able to act only by his sufferance and is represented frequently as the leader or prince of all apostate angels and as ruler of hell — called also Apollyon, Beelzebub, Lucifer, Satan; usually used with the and often used as a mild imprecation or expression of surprise, vexation, or emphasis
< the devil you say >
< the devil take it >
2. : one of the superhuman followers of the devil : a lesser evil or malignant spiritual being: as
a. : a heathen god or idol — used chiefly in scriptural and Christian clerical writings
b. in the Bible : a malignant spirit possessing and responsible for the state of a demoniac
3.
a. : an extremely and malignantly wicked person : a human fiend; often : a person cantankerously self-centered and without regard for the rights of others
b. archaic : a great evil
< the devil drunkenness — Shakespeare >
4.
a. : a person of notable energy, recklessness, and dashing spirit
< all those young devils that followed Prince Charlie >
b. : a person thought of as misconducting himself more from youthful folly and exuberance of spirits than from real wickedness
< both my cousins were perfect devils as boys >
c. : a person exhibiting marked intensity in some line of conduct : one excessively addicted or attracted to
< a devil for gambling >
< a devil with the ladies >
often : one regarded as atypical
< a gentleman but a queer devil all the same >
5.
a. : fellow, man — usually used with poor
< poor devils sleeping on park benches and in subways >
< my uncle, poor devil, lost his wife in a wreck only weeks after their marriage >
< poor devils who make life sweeter for the rest by sweeping the streets, collecting the garbage, cleaning the sewers >
b. : printer's devil
c. : a junior legal counsel working usually without pay
6.
a. : an ill-tempered, vicious, or ugly creature
< a big bay stallion that was a perfect devil >
— often used in vernacular names of animals; see tasmanian devil
b. : a firecracker or similar firework
c. : something very provoking, difficult, or trying
< most game birds are devils to bring down without a good dog >
: a perturbed, disordered, or distressing state
< they found themselves in a devil of a mess >
< there was a devil of a high sea running that day >
7. : a mood, passion, or quality that possesses, incites, or disturbs
< the victim of a moody devil within his own heart >
— compare blue devil 1
8. : a highly seasoned dish especially of broiled or fried meat (as chops or meaty bones) : a grill with cayenne pepper
9. : any of various machines, appliances, or devices: as
a. : a machine for tearing or shredding something or for grinding material into bits (as stock for papermaking, woolen for shoddy, or fur for felt)
b. : an iron fire basket or grate for open-air use
c. : a machine for making wooden screws
d. : a drag for clearing plowed ground
10. : a seam in a ship's hull on or below the waterline
11. India & Africa : dust devil
12. : power, efficacy, sting — used especially of cricket bowling or a bowled ball
< you will never take wickets unless you put more devil in your bowling >
13. Christian Science : the opposite of Truth : a belief in sin, sickness, and death : evil, error
•
- between the devil and the deep sea
- devil and all
- devil of it
- devil's own time
- devil to pay
- in the devil
II. verb
(deviled or devilled ; deviled or devilled ; deviling or devilling \-v(ə)liŋ, -vil-\ ; devils)
transitive verb
1. : tease, annoy, torment, haze; especially : to pester with importunities
< deviling her mother for a new dress >
2. : to chop (food) fine and mix with hot seasoning or sauce usually after cooking — now usually used as a past participle
< a tasty deviled crab >
< deviled eggs >
3. : to tear to pieces in a devil
< devil rags >
intransitive verb
: to serve or function as a devil (as in a printshop or to a lawyer) |