devils bit (devlzbit)

[Translating ML. mors us diaboli (L. mors us, a bite; diaboli, gen. of LL. diabolus: see morsel and devil ), G. Teu [Colloq. and lud i- fels - abbi - "so called," says the Ortus San it at is, on the authority of Oribasius, "because with this root [the scabious] the Devil practised such power that the Mother of God, out of compa ion, took from the devil the means to do so with it any more; and in the great vexation that he had that the power was gone from him he bit it off, so that it grows no more to this 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. Add is on . =Syn. 1. Satanic, infernal, hellish, impious, wicked, atrocious, nefarious. devilish (dev'l-ish), adv. [ ce ively; enormously. [Colloq. and ludicrous.] 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! '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 , Dombey and Son, vii. devilishly (dev'l-ish-li), adv . 1. In a devilish manner; diabolically; wickedly. That which wickedly and devilishly those impostors called the cause of God. South , Sermons, I. 450. 2. Greatly; exce ively. [Colloq. and ludicrous.]