devill, deville, dedeleafle

& a. [A. S. deóful, deófol, from Lat. diabolus; Gr. diabolos =the slanderer, the devil; diaballo (1) to throw acro or in the way, (2) to slander: dia = through, acro , and ballo to throw; O. S. diubal; O. Fris. diovel, divel; O. H. Ger. tiufal; Icel. djo full; Sw. djefvul; Dan. djävel; Dut. duivel; Ger. teufel; Fr. diable; Sp. diablo; Port. diabo; Ital. diavolo.] A. As substantive: I. Ordinary Language: 1. Lit.: In the same sense as II. 1. 2. Figuratively: Arabic Scheitan, the Erse Teitin, the time god; the Biblical Satan or Lucifer, the Son of the Morning." The Greek story of Pro me the us stealing fire from heaven is believed by many learned commentators to be identical with our fall of the devil. The Caroline Island Indians have a similar myth -that Merogog (the devil) was driven out of heaven, and that he took with him a spark of fire, which he presented to man. Pluto and Plutus, of the Roman and Grecian mythologists, is the same as our devil. In the Irish language he is called Diabhall (god of the air); in Welsh he is called Diawl, meaning (1) An exceedingly wicked person; a demon, a "not light," or the god of darkne ; in old Saxon fiend. "Could the world pick out three such enemies again, as that fiend Douglas, that spirit Percy, and that devil Glen dower?"-Shakesp.: Henry IV ., Pt . I., ii. 4. (2) Any great evil or calamity. "A war of profit mitigates the evil; But to be tax'd and beaten, is the devil ." Granvill , IMG:content-2349.png:[blocks in formation] he was Durvel, in Danish Diavel, and in the Tar- tarian language Drof. The gypsies called him Bong, and by the strange system of contraries by which their language, or dialect, is noted, they call God Devlis, or Devul, as some writers give it. The Scripture does not represent the devil and his angels as having been created at first in the low moral state in which they exist. They were origi- nally happy spirits, who when in heaven lapsed into sin (Jude, 6), that of Satan being pride (1 Tim. iii. 6), in consequence of which they were expelled from that bli ful abode. The battle in which Michael was the leader of the angelic hosts who remained true in their allegiance to God, has been supposed to be the one in which Satan was expelled from heaven; but it may have another reference (Rev. xii. 7-12). The devil figured largely in the theology of the middle ages, his name inspiring great terror. Nominally he holds exactly the same place in the Christian system still, but he is to a considerable extent ignored in the preaching of the present day. (6) Used as an expre ion of mingled pity and [DEMON, SATAN.] contempt; as, a poor devil. (7) (See extract.) [II. 8.] "For this purpose a number of men were employed there, on Saturday night, and a large grate, called a devil , filled with burning coals, was used as a light."-London Morning Chronicle. II. Technically : 1. Script . & Theol .: An evil spirit, whose special employment, as the etymology of the name shows, is to stand forth as an accuser or slanderer [see etym.], the brethren, i. e., Christians, being the special object of his calumnies (Rev. xii. 10). He is identified with the Satan who figures in the later Old Testament compositions (1) Chron. xxi. 1; Job i. 6-12; Psalm cix. 6; Zech. iii. 1, 2), and throughout the New (Mat. iv. 10, xii. 26; Luke x. 18; Acts v. 3; slandering the patriarch, Job was exactly that Corinthia procedure in accusing and which the New Testament name devil would have led one to expect (Job i. 6-12, ii. 1-8). The name Satan (Aram. Shatana ) is generally held to mean "The loaded pre beneath her labor groans, And printers' devils shake their weary bones." Byron: English Bards and Scotch Reviewers. 3. Weaving , .: (1) A machine for opening out the tu ocks of cotton, and cleaning therefrom the dirt and offal. It has various other names, such as willower, willy, beating-machine, . [COTTON-CLEANING MA- CHINE.] (2) A rag-engine or spiked mill for tearing woolen rags into shoddy, or linen and cotton rags to make paper pulp. 4. Mach .: A machine for making wood screws. 5. Ichthy.: [SEA-DEVIL.] 6. Zool.: The Tasmanian name for Dasyurus eighteen inches long, but which is capable of ursinus , a carnivorous marsupial quadruped about destroying sheep. or other buildings to melt solder, lead, . The name devil is applied from the havoc which it some- times makes with the building if a live coal drop- ping from it finds its way among the woodwork of which is rendered by Gesenius accusation , so that the signification of Devil and Satan is very closely akin. His character is malignant to the last de gree; for he is represented as tempting our Lord (Mat. iv. 1, 5, 8, 8,11; Luke iv. 2, 3, 5, 13), 13), as sowing the roof. tares among wheat (Mat. xiii. 39), as entering Judas Iscariot immediately before the unworthy disciple wiles (Ephes. vi. 11), and laying snares betrayed his Master (John xiii. 2), as practicing 7). His ability for mischief is great; thus he is described as having the power of death (Heb. ii. 14), but he is not omnipotent, and if resisted will be put to flight (James iv. 7). He is the leader of (wicked) angels, and for him and them everlasting fire is pre- pared (Mat. xxv. 41). Into that lake of fire the devil will ultimately be cast (Rev. xx. 10). As an infernal heirarchy is thus recognized, a question may arise as to whether the numerous names ap- plied to devils in Scripture, such as the "Prince of the power of the air" (Ephes. ii. 2), Abaddon, Apol- lyon, . (Rev. ix. 11), are all meant for the same malignant being, or whether some of them may not refer to his more prominent followers. Beelzebub and Satan are, however, identical (Mat. xii. 24-26). According to the Talmudists Satan, whose real tle with a hole in the side, is sometimes used by however, so dangerous as the three-legged appnot, zinc-workers for heating their irons. It is not, 9. Horol.: A small lump of coarse matted wire, with a short handle, used to support articles to be treated with the blowpipe. 10. Pyrot .: A kind of small cracker or firework. *B. As adj .: Devilish, fiendish, demoniacal; dia- bolical, damnable. "That devil monk, Hopkins, that made this mischief." Shakesp.: Henry VIII ., ii. 1. (1) To go to the devil: To go to ruin. (2) To play the devil with: To do great harm or injury to, to ruin. "One that will play the devil , sir, with you." Shakesp.: King John , ii. 1. devil's-candlestick (3) To give the devil his due : To allow even the worst man credit for any good qualities he may have. *(4) A twenty devils' way: In the name of twenty devils. *(5) The devil rides on a fiddle - stick : A proverbial expre ion, apparently meant to indicate anything new, unexpected, and strange. "Heigh, heigh! the devil rides upon a fiddlestick; what's the matter?" -Shakesp .: Henry IV., Pt . I. , ii. 4. (6) When the devil is blind: Never. (7) Dare-devil: Reckle , heedle , foolhardy; used adjectively or as a substantive. (8) The devil to pay : A reckoning to be had, as for some mischief or damage done. (9) Blue devils. Low spirits; same as the blues. Crabb thus discriminates between devil and "Since is represented as the pronunciation demon of all i cere the dev i at have been con nected with the name that render its prostened ear; while demon is a term of indifferent application, that is commonly substituted in its stead to designate either a good or an evil spirit. Malice and fraud are the peculiar characteristics of the devil ; rage is properly that of a demon . The devil is said in proverbial discourse to be in such things as go contrary to the wish; the demon of jealousy is said to po e the mind that is altogether carried away with that pa ion." (Crabb: English Synon .) Obvious compound: Devil -born. (Tennyson.) devil-bird, s . Ornith.: A sometimes applied to the mem bers of the game itirme, they are natives of India. IMG:content-2350.png:[blocks in formation] devil-tree, s. Bot. Alstonia scholar is. devil-worship, s . The worship of evil person i fied, still practiced in Asia, Africa, and America, by primitive tribes who believe that there are two powers presiding over this world, the one of good and the other of evil, and that these two have equal fetichism, the difference being that in devil-worship podere Devil worship is only a slight advance on the destructive powers of nature are personified. devil's advocate, s. [ADVOCATUS DIABOLI.] devil's-apple, s. The mandrake.