Added 3 October 2026
devil
/ˈdɛvəl/ proper noun
In Latin: Diabolus, Satanās Wiktionary
proper noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about devil at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
noun
- An evil creature, the objectification of a hostile and destructive force.
- A man with red or orange skin and a pair of horns on his head, a pointed goatee, and a long tail, who carries a pitchfork, represents evil, and is portrayed to children as a boogeyman who punishes bad behavior.
-
The bad part of the conscience; the opposite to the angel.
The devil in me wants to let him suffer.
verb
Origin
From Middle English devil, devel, deovel, from Old English dēofol, from Proto-West Germanic *diubul, from Latin diabolus, ultimately from Ancient Greek διάβολος (diábolos, “false accuser, slanderer”), also as "Satan" (in Jewish/Christian usage, translating Biblical Hebrew שָׂטָן (śātān)), from διαβάλλω (diabállō, “to slander”), literally “to throw across”, from διά (diá, “through, across”) + βάλλω (bállō, “throw”). The Old English word was probably adopted under influence of Latin diabolus (itself from the Greek).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)