*evil*

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Bedevilled (&unr_;); p. pr. & vb. n. Bedeviling or Bedevilling. ] 1. To throw into utter disorder and confusion, as if by the agency of evil spirits; to bring under diabolical influence; to torment. [ 1913 Webster ]

Bedeviled and used worse than St. Bartholomew. Sterne. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To spoil; to corrupt. Wright. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state of being bedeviled; bewildering confusion; vexatious trouble. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Bevel. ] (Her.) A chief broken or opening like a carpenter's bevel. Encyc. Brit. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. (Her.) Notched with an angle like that inclosed by a carpenter's bevel; -- said of a partition line of a shield. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. breviloquentia. ] A brief and pertinent mode of speaking. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A reckless fellow. Also used adjectively; as, dare-devil excitement. [ 1913 Webster ]

A humorous dare-devil -- the very man
To suit my prpose. Ld. Lytton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n; pl. Dare-deviltries Reckless mischief; the action of a dare-devil. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A half devil. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ AS. deófol, deóful; akin to G. &unr_;eufel, Goth. diabaúlus; all fr. L. diabolus the devil, Gr. &unr_; the devil, the slanderer, fr. &unr_; to slander, calumniate, orig., to throw across; &unr_; across + &unr_; 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ Jesus ] being forty days tempted of the devil. Luke iv. 2. [ 1913 Webster ]

That old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world. Rev. xii. 9. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An evil spirit; a demon. [ 1913 Webster ]

A dumb man possessed with a devil. Matt. ix. 32. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A very wicked person; hence, any great evil. “That devil Glendower.” “The devil drunkenness.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? John vi. 70. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. An expletive of surprise, vexation, or emphasis, or, ironically, of negation. [ Low ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The devil a puritan that he is, . . . but a timepleaser. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

The things, we know, are neither rich nor rare,
But wonder how the devil they got there. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Cookery) A dish, as a bone with the meat, broiled and excessively peppered; a grill with Cayenne pepper. [ 1913 Webster ]

Men and women busy in baking, broiling, roasting oysters, and preparing devils on the gridiron. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Manuf.) A machine for tearing or cutting rags, cotton, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

Blue devils. See under Blue. --
Cartesian devil. See under Cartesian. --
Devil bird (Zool.), one of two or more South African drongo shrikes (Edolius retifer, and Edolius 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 Laminaria longicruris) of the Atlantic ocean, having a blackish, leathery expansion, shaped somewhat like an apron. --
Devil's coachhorse. (Zool.) (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. (Zool.) See under Darn, v. t. --
Devil's fingers,
Devil's hand (Zool.), the common British starfish (Asterias rubens); -- also applied to a sponge with stout branches. [ Prov. Eng., Irish & Scot. ] --
Devil's riding-horse (Zool.), 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 (Zool.), a very savage carnivorous marsupial of Tasmania (Dasyurus ursinus syn. Diabolus ursinus). --
To play devil with, to molest extremely; to ruin. [ Low ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Deviled r Devilled; p. pr. & vb. n. Deviling r Devilling. ] 1. To make like a devil; to invest with the character of a devil. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To grill with Cayenne pepper; to season highly in cooking, as with pepper. [ 1913 Webster ]

A deviled leg of turkey. W. Irving.

/mhw>, n.. (Zool.) A small water bird. See Dabchick. [ 1913 Webster ]

a hard-boiled egg, sliced into halves and with the yolk removed and replaced with a paste, usually made from the yolk and mayonnaise, seasoned with salt and/or spices such as paprika. [ PJC ]

n. A she-devil. [ R. ] Sterne. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A little devil. [ R. ] Barham. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) (a) A huge ray (Manta birostris or Cephaloptera vampyrus) of the Gulf of Mexico and Southern Atlantic coasts. Several other related species take the same name. See Cephaloptera. (b) A large cephalopod, especially the very large species of Octopus and Architeuthis. See Octopus. (c) The gray whale of the Pacific coast. See Gray whale. (d) The goosefish or angler (Lophius), and other allied fishes. See Angler. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A young devil. [ Obs. ] Beau. & Fl. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Resembling, characteristic of, or pertaining to, the devil; diabolical; wicked in the extreme. “Devilish wickedness.” Sir P. Sidney. [ 1913 Webster ]

This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. James iii. 15. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Extreme; excessive. [ Colloq. ] Dryden.

Syn. -- Diabolical; infernal; hellish; satanic; wicked; malicious; detestable; destructive.

-- Dev"il*ish*ly, adv. -- Dev"il*ish*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state of the devil or of devils; doctrine of the devil or of devils. Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To make a devil of. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

He that should deify a saint, should wrong him as much as he that should devilize him. Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A little devil; a devilet. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. cheerfully irresponsible.
Syn. -- carefree, happy-go-lucky, harum-scarum, slaphappy. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. marked by a carefree unconventionality or disreputableness.
Syn. -- raffish, rakish. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. Deviltry. Bp. Warburton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Devilries 1. Conduct suitable to the devil; extreme wickedness; deviltry. [ 1913 Webster ]

Stark lies and devilry. Sir T. More. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The whole body of evil spirits. Tylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

. (Zool.) A dragon fly. See Darning needle, under Darn, v. t. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The character or person of a devil or the devil. Cowley. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Deviltries Diabolical conduct; malignant mischief; devilry. C. Reade. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bot.) A kind of tree (Osmanthus Americanus), allied to the European olive. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A fool; a drudge. See Drivel. [ 1913 Webster ]

pos>a. [ OE. evel, evil, ifel, uvel, AS. yfel; akin to OFries, evel, D. euvel, OS. & OHG. ubil, G. übel, Goth. ubils, and perh. to E. over. ] 1. Having qualities tending to injury and mischief; having a nature or properties which tend to badness; mischievous; not good; worthless or deleterious; poor; as, an evil beast; and evil plant; an evil crop. [ 1913 Webster ]

A good tree can not bring forth evil fruit. Matt. vii. 18. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Having or exhibiting bad moral qualities; morally corrupt; wicked; wrong; vicious; as, evil conduct, thoughts, heart, words, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

Ah, what a sign it is of evil life,
When death's approach is seen so terrible. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Producing or threatening sorrow, distress, injury, or calamity; unpropitious; calamitous; as, evil tidings; evil arrows; evil days. [ 1913 Webster ]

Because he hath brought up an evil name upon a virgin of Israel. Deut. xxii. 19. [ 1913 Webster ]

The owl shrieked at thy birth -- an evil sign. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Evil news rides post, while good news baits. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Evil eye, an eye which inflicts injury by some magical or fascinating influence. It is still believed by the ignorant and superstitious that some persons have the supernatural power of injuring by a look. [ 1913 Webster ] It almost led him to believe in the evil eye. J. H. Newman. --
Evil speaking, speaking ill of others; calumny; censoriousness. --
The evil one, the Devil; Satan. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Evil is sometimes written as the first part of a compound (with or without a hyphen). In many cases the compounding need not be insisted on. Examples: Evil doer or evildoer, evil speaking or evil-speaking, evil worker, evil wishing, evil-hearted, evil-minded.

Syn. -- Mischieveous; pernicious; injurious; hurtful; destructive; wicked; sinful; bad; corrupt; perverse; wrong; vicious; calamitous. [ 1913 Webster ]

pos>n. 1. Anything which impairs the happiness of a being or deprives a being of any good; anything which causes suffering of any kind to sentient beings; injury; mischief; harm; -- opposed to good. [ 1913 Webster ]

Evils which our own misdeeds have wrought. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

The evil that men do lives after them. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Moral badness, or the deviation of a moral being from the principles of virtue imposed by conscience, or by the will of the Supreme Being, or by the principles of a lawful human authority; disposition to do wrong; moral offence; wickedness; depravity. [ 1913 Webster ]

The heart of the sons of men is full of evil. Eccl. ix. 3. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. malady or disease; especially in the phrase king's evil, the scrofula. [ R. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

He [ Edward the Confessor ] was the first that touched for the evil. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In an evil manner; not well; ill; badly; unhappily; injuriously; unkindly. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

It went evil with his house. 1 Chron. vii. 23. [ 1913 Webster ]

The Egyptians evil entreated us, and affected us. Deut. xxvi. 6. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a person who performs an evil deed; one who sins (without repenting).
Syn. -- sinner. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. evil behavior.
Syn. -- transgression. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

See Evil eye under Evil, a. [ 1913 Webster ]

pos>a. Possessed of the supposed evil eye; also, looking with envy, jealousy, or bad design; malicious. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having a bad countenance or appearance; ill-favored; blemished; deformed. Bacon.

-- E"vil-fa`vored*ness, n. Deut. xvi. 1. [1913 Webster]

adv. In an evil manner; not well; ill. [ Obs. ] “Good deeds evilly bestowed.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having evil dispositions or intentions; disposed to mischief or sin; malicious; malignant; wicked. -- E"vil-mind`ed*ness, n. [1913 Webster]

n. The condition or quality of being evil; badness; viciousness; malignity; vileness; as, evilness of heart; the evilness of sin. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Mach.) (a) A weight which is dropped into a bore, as of an oil well, to explode a cartridge previously lowered. (b) A device, as a loosely fitted plug, which is driven through a pipe by the pressure of the contents behind the plug to clear away obstructions. (c) A rough sled or dray used for dragging logs, hauling stone, etc. [ Local, U. S. ] [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. A number of fishhooks rigidly fastened back to be pulled through the water to catch fish. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

v. t. & i. [ imp. & p. p. Reviled p. pr. & vb. n. Reviling. ] [ Pref. re- + OF. aviler to make vile, depreciate, F. avilir; à (L. ad.) + vil vile. See Vile. ] To address or abuse with opprobrious and contemptuous language; to reproach. “And did not she herself revile me there?” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again. 1 Pet. ii. 23. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To reproach; vilify; upbraid; calumniate. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Reproach; reviling. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The gracious Judge, without revile, replied. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of reviling; also, contemptuous language; reproach; abuse. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who reviles. 1. Cor. vi. 10. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Reproach; abuse; vilification. [ 1913 Webster ]

Neither be ye afraid of their revilings. Isa. li. 7. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Uttering reproaches; containing reproaches. -- Re*vil"ing*ly, adv. [1913 Webster]

fld>(Zool.) (a) Any very large ray, especially any species of the genus Manta or Cephaloptera, some of which become more than twenty feet across and weigh several tons. See also Ox ray, under Ox. (b) Any large cephalopod, as a large Octopus, or a giant squid (Architeuthis). See Devilfish. (c) The angler. [ 1913 Webster ]