devil 
name in the United States of the dragon-flies of the 
families LUxllululie, Agrimmlae, and jEschnidce: so call- 
ed from their long, slender, needle-like bodies. (o) The 
Venus's-comb, Scandix Pecten, from the long tapering 
beaks of the fruit. Devil's dozen. Same as bakers' dozen 
(which see, under baker). Devil's ear. See deml's-ear. 
Devil's finger. See devils-finger. Devil's snuff- 
bOX, the punball, a species of the fungus Lycoperdon, 
from its supposed deleterious qualities, and from the 
clouds of snuff-like spores that come from it. Forest 
devil, the name given in some localities to a stump- 
extractor. Go to the devil! clear out! be off! an ob- 
jurgation expressing impatience and contempt. Like 
the devil looking over Lincoln, or as the devil 
looks over Lincoln, a proverbial expression the origin 
of which is unknown. " Some refer this to Lincoln Min- 
ster [England], over which, when first finished, the devil 
is supposed to have looked with a fierce and terrific coun- 
tenance, as incensed and alarmed at this costly instance 
of devotion. Ray thinks it more probable that it took its 
rise from a small image of the devil placed on the top of 
Lincoln College, Oxford, over which he looks, seemingly 
with much fury." (Grose, Local Proverbs.) 
Thau wold ye looke ouer me with stomoke swolne 
Like as the diuel lookt ouer Lincolne. 
Heywood, Dialogues, ii. 9 (Spenser Soc., p. 75). 
Lord Sp. Has your ladyship seen the dutchess since 
your falling out 1 
Lady Sm. Never, my lord, but once at a visit ; and she 
looked at me as the Devil look'd over Lincoln. 
Swtft, Polite Conversation, i. 
Printer's devil, an errand-boy in a printing-office ; origi- 
nally, the boy who took the printed sheets from the tym- 
pan of the press. 
They do commonly so black and dedaub themselves that 
the workmen do jocosely call them devils. Moxon. 
Tasmanian or native devil, the ursine dasyure, Dasy- 
urus or Sarcophilus ursinus, a carnivorous marsupial of 
Tasmania. See dasyure. 
That very fierce animal, called from its evil temper the 
Tasmanian devil. J. G. Wood, Out of Doors, p. 22. 
The devil on his neck. See the extract. 
Certain strait irons called the divel on his neck being 
after an horrible sort devised, straitening and winching 
the neck of a man with his legs together in such sort as 
the more he stirreth in it the straiter it presseth him, so 
that within three or four hours it breaketh and crusheth 
a man's back and body in pieces. Foxe. 
The devil rides on a fiddlestick, a proverbial expres- 
sion, apparently meant to express something new, unex- 
pected, and strange. 
Heigh, heigh ! the devil rides upon a fiddlestick ; What's 
the matter? Shak., 1 Hen. IV., ii. 4. 
The devil's books. See book. The Devil's Own, a 
name jocosely given to the 88th regiment of foot in the 
British army on account of its bravery in the Peninsu- 
lar war (1808-14), and also to the volunteer regiment of 
the Inns of Court, London, the members of which are 
lawyers. The devil's tattoo. See tattoo. The devil 
to pay, great mischief afoot ; riotous disturbance ; any 
serious and especially unexpected difficulty or entangle- 
ment ; a difficulty to be overcome : often with the addition, 
and no pitch hot, to express want of readiness or means 
for the emergency. The whole phrase is of nautical origin, 
the devil being a certain seam so called from its awkward- 
ness of access in calking. See def. 10, and pay. To give 
the devil his due, to do justice even to a person of sup- 
posed bad character, or to one greatly disliked. 
To give the devil his due, John Calvin was a great man. 
Bp. Berkeley. 
To go to the devil, to go to ruin. To hold a candle 
to the devil, to abet an evil-doer. To play the devil 
(or very devil) With, to ruin ; destroy ; molest or hurt 
extremely. 
He fights still, 
In view o' the town ; he plays the devil with 'em, 
And they the Turks with him. 
Beau, and Fl., Knight of Malta, i. 1. 
And, in short, in your own memorable words, to play 
the very devil ^vith everything and everybody. 
Dickens, Nicholas Nickleby, xvi. 
To say the devil's paternoster, to grumble. 
What devills pater noster is this he is saying? What 
would he? What saist thou honest man? Is my brother 
at hand? Terence in English (1614). 
To whip the devil round the stump, to get round or 
dodge a difficulty or dilemma by means of a fabricated ex- 
cuse or explanation. 
devil (dev'l), v. t. ; pret. and pp. deviled or dev- 
illed, ppr. deviling or devilling. [< devil, .] 1. 
To make devilish, or like a devil. 2. In cook- 
ery, to season highly with mustard, pepper, etc., 
and broil. 
A deviled leg of turkey. Irving. 
The deviled chicken and buttered toast. 
Disraeli, Coningsby, iv. 2. 
3. To bother; torment. [Colloq.] 4. To cut 
up, as cloth or rags, by means of a machine 
called a devil. 
devil-bean (dev'1-ben), n. Same as jumping- 
seed, 
devil-bird (dev'1-berd), n. A name of the In- 
dian drongo-shrikes, of the family Dicruridce. 
devil-bolt (dev'1-bolt), n. A bolt with false 
clinches, sometimes fraudulently used in ship- 
building. 
devil-carriage (dev'l-kar"aj), n. A carriage 
used for moving heavy ordnance ; a sling-cart. 
E. H. Knight. 
devil-dodger (dev'l-doj'-'er), . A ranting 
preacher. [Humorous.] 
1580 
These devil-dodgers happened to be so very powerful 
(that is, noisy) that they soon sent John home, crying out, 
he should be damn'd. Life of J. Laclcington, Letter vi. 
deviless (dev'l-es), . [< devil + -ess,'] A she- 
devil. [Hare.] 
Though we should abominate each other ten times worse 
than so many devils and devilesses, we should ... be all 
courtesy and kindness. Sterne, Tristram Shandy, ii. 188. 
devilet (dev'l-et), n. [< devil + dim. -et.J A 
little devil ; a devilkin. [Bare.] 
And pray now what were these Decilets call'd? 
These three little Fiends so gay ? 
Barham, Ingoldsby Legends, II. 392. 
devil-fish (dev'1-fish), . In zool., a name of va- 
rious marine animals of large size or uncanny 
appearance, (a) The popular name of a large pediculate 
fish, Lophius piscatorius, otherwise called angler, fishing- 
frog, sea-devil, toad-fish, etc. See cut under angler. (6) In 
the United States, a name applied chiefly to a gigantic 
cephalopteroid ray, Mania birostris or Ceratoptera vampy- 
Devil-fish, or Giant Ray (Manta birostris]. 
rus, which has very wide-spreading sides or pectoral fins, 
long cephalic fins turned forward and inward, a terminal 
mouth, and small teeth, in the lower jaw only. The width 
of this great batoid fish sometimes exceeds 20 feet. It 
progresses in the ocean by flapping its sides or pectorals 
up and down, and is occasionally hunted by sportsmen with 
harpoons. It is viviparous, and generally has but a single 
young one at a birth, (c) In California, a name sometimes 
given to the gray whale, Rhachianectes glaucus. 
devilhood (dev'1-hud), n. [< devil + -hood.'] The 
quality, nature, or character of a devil. E. D. 
devil-in-a-bush (dev'l-in-a-bush'), n. A gar- 
den-flower, Nigella damascena, so called from 
its horned capsules looking out from the finely 
divided involucre. Also called love-in-a-mist. 
deviling (dev'1-ing), n. [< devil + dim. -ing.'] 
If. A little devil ; a young devil. 
Engender young deuilings. 
Beau, and Fl., Knight of Malta, v. 2. 
2. A fretful, troublesome woman. [Prov. Eng.] 
3. The swift, Cypselus apus. Also called 
devil-sereeclier. Also written develin. [Prov. 
Eng.] 
devilish (dev'1-ish), a. [= D. duivelsch = G. 
tetiflisch = Sw. djefvulsk = Dan. djcevelsle; as 
devil + -ishl. The earlier adj. was ME. deoflich, 
< AS. deoflic for "dedfollic (= OHG. tiufallich = 
Icel. djofulligr), < deofol, devil, + -lie, E. -Zj/.] 1 . 
Characteristic of the devil ; befitting the devil, 
or a devil or demon; diabolical; malignant: as, 
a devilish scheme ; devilish conduct. 
Gynecia mistrusted greatly Cecropia, because she had 
heard much of the devilish wickedness of her heart. 
Sir P. Sidney. 
We pronounce 
Count Guido devilish and damnable ; 
His wife Pompilia in thought, word, and deed 
Was perfect pure, he murdered her for that. 
Browning, Ring and Book, I. 14. 
2. Extreme; enormous. [Colloq. and ludi- 
crous.] 
Thy hair and beard are of a different die, 
Short of one foot, distorted of one eye, 
With all these tokens of a knave complete, 
If thou art honest, thou'rt a devilish cheat. 
Addison. 
= Syn. 1. Satanic, infernal, hellish, impious, wicked, atro- 
cious, nefarious. 
devilish (dev'1-ish), adv. [< devilish, a.] Ex- 
cessively; enormously. [Colloq. andludicrous.] 
As soon as the bear felt the blow, and saw him, he turns 
about, and comes after him, taking devilish long strides. 
Defoe, Robinson Crusoe. 
Ha ! ha 1 'twas devilish entertaining, to be sure ! 
Sheridan, School for Scandal, v. 2. 
He's hard-hearted, sir, is Joe he's tough, sir, tough, 
and de-vilish sly ! Dickens, Donibey and Son, vii. 
devilishly (dev'1-ish-li), adv. 1. In a devilish 
manner; diabolically; wickedly. 
That which wickedly and devilishly those impostors 
called the cause of God. Smith, Sermons, I. 450. 
2. Greatly; excessively. [Colloq. and ludi- 
crous.] 
devilishness (dev'1-ish-nes), n. Resemblance 
to the qualities of the devil ; infernal or devil- 
ish character. 
Doubtless the very Devils themselves, notwithstanding 
all the devilishness of their temper, would wish for a holy 
heart, if by that means they could get out of hell. 
Edwards, Freedom of Will, iii. 5. 
Alas, how can a man with this devilishness of temper 
make way for himself in life? 
Carlyle, Sartor Resartus, p. 90. 
devil's-dust 
devilismt (dev'1-izm), n. [< devil + -ism.'] Di- 
abolism; devilishness. 
Did ever any seek for the greatest good in the worst of 
evils ? This is not heresy, but meer devilisin. 
Bp. Hall, Remains, p. 150. 
devilize (dev'l-iz), v. ; pret. and pp. devilized, 
ppr. demlizing. [Formerly also divelize; < devil 
+ -4ze.~\ I. intrans. To act or be like a devil. 
To keep their kings from divelizing. 
N. Ward, Simple Cobler (1647), p. 48. 
II. trans. To make a devil of ; place among 
devils. [Bare.] 
He that should deify a saint should wrong him as much 
as he that should deeilize him. Bp. Hall, Remains, p. 13. 
devilkin (dev'1-kin), n. [< devil + dim. -kin.'] 
A little devil. 
No wonder that a Beelzebub has his devilkins to attend 
his call. Richardson, Clarissa Harlowe, VI. 14. 
devil-may-care (dev'1-ma-kar'), a. [A sen- 
tence, the devil may care (so. I don't), used as 
an adj.] Reckless; careless. [Slang.] 
Toby Crackit, seeming to abandon as hopeless any fur- 
ther effort to maintain his usual devil-may-care swagger, 
turned to Chitling and said, " When was Fagin took, then? " 
Dickens, Oliver Twist, 1. 
You know I don't profess to have any purpose in life 
perfectly devil-may-care. 
W. M. Baker, New Timothy, p. 292. 
devilment (dev'1-ment), n. [Irreg. < devil + 
-ment.~] Deviltry; trickery; roguishness; mis- 
chief: often used in a ludicrous sense without 
necessarily implying malice: as, he did it out 
of mere devilment, 
This is our ward, our pretty Rose brought her up to 
town to see all the devilments and things. 
Morton, Secrets worth Knowing, i. 1. 
Somethin' to keep me hard at it away from all sorts of 
devilment } W. M. Baker, New Timothy, p. 298. 
devilry (dev'l-ri), n. ; pi. devilries (-riz). [< 
devil + -ry ; cf. F. diablerie."] Devilish charac- 
ter or conduct; extreme wickedness; wicked 
mischief. 
He calleth the Catholike church the Antichristian syn- 
agogue, and the vnwritten verities starke lyes and deuilry. 
Sir T. More, Works, p. 1129. 
There's mair o' utter deevilry in that woman than in 
a' the Scotch witches that ever flew by moonlight ower 
North Berwick Law. Scott, Bride of Lammermoor, iii. 97. 
But better this honest simplicity than the devilries of 
the Faust of Goethe. Hazlitt, Dram. Literature. 
devil's-apron (dev'lz-a"prun), . A name given 
in the United States to species of the genus 
Laminaria, an olive-brown alga with a very 
large, dilated, stipitate lamina, especially to L. 
saccharina, in which the frond is elongated and 
entire, with a wavy margin. 
The stems of the devil's aprons, Laminariae, are used by 
surgical-instrument makers in the manufacture of sponge- 
tents. Farlow, Marine Alga;, p. 9. 
devil's-bird (dev'lz-berd), n. A Scotch name 
of the yellow bunting, Emberiza citrinella, the 
note of which is translated " deil, deil, deil 
take ye." Macgillivray. 
devil's-bit (dev'lz-bit), n. [Translating ML. 
morsus diaboli (L. morsus, a bite ; diaboli, gen. 
of LL. diabolus: see morsel and devil), G. Ten- 
fels-aVbiss "so called," says the Ortus Sani- 
tatis, on the authority of Oribasius, "because 
with this root [the scabious] the Devil prac- 
tised such power that the Mother of God, out 
of compassion, took from the devil the means 
to do so with it any more ; and in the great vexa- 
tion that he had that the power was gone from 
him he bit it off, so that it grows no more to this 
day."] The popular name of several plants, 
(a) In Europe, a species of scabious, Scabiosa succisa, a 
common pasture-weed with a fleshy premorse root and 
heads of blue flowers. (6) In the United States, the blaz- 
ing-star, Chamcelirium luteum, a liliaceous plant with a 
thick premorse rootstock. (c) The button-snakeroot, Lia- 
tris spicata. 
devil's-claw (dev'lz-kla), n. A scorpion-shell, 
Pteroceras Scorpio, found in the Indian ocean. 
devil's-club (dev'lz-klub), n. A name given in 
the northwestern parts of the United States to 
the prickly araliaceous plant Fatsia horrida. 
devil's-COtton (dev'lz-kot"n), 11. A small tree. 
Abroma augusta, a native of India, the fibers of 
which are used in some localities as a substi- 
tute for hemp in cordage. 
devil's-COW (dey'lz-kou), n. Same as de-viPs 
coach-horse (which see, under devil). 
devil-screecher (dev^-skre'cher), n. Same as 
deviling, 3. 
devil's-dung (dev'lz-dung), n. An old phar- 
maceutical name of asafetida. 
devil's-dust (dev'lz-dust), . Flock made out 
of old woolen materials by the machine called 
a devil; shoddy. See devil, n., 9 (<?). 
