Part 237

4. An expletive of surprise, vexation, or emphasis, or, ironically, of negation.

The devil a puritan that he is, . . . but a timepleaser.

Shak.

The things, we know, are neither rich nor rare, But wonder how the devil they got there.

Pope.

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

Men and women busy in baking, broiling, roasting oysters, and preparing devils on the gridiron.

Sir W. Scott.

6. (Manuf.) A machine for tearing or cutting rags, cotton, etc.

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

Dev"il (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Deviled (?) or Devilled; p. pr. & vb. n. Deviling (?) or Devilling.] 1. To make like a devil; to invest with the character of a devil.

2. To grill with Cayenne pepper; to season highly in cooking, as with pepper.

A deviled leg of turkey.

W. Irving.

Dev"il-div`er (?), Dev"il bird` (&?;), n.. (Zoöl.) A small water bird. See Dabchick.

Dev"il*ess (?), n. A she- devil. [R.] Sterne.

Dev"il*et (?), n. A little devil. [R.] Barham.

Dev"il*fish` (?), n. (Zoöl.) (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.

Dev"il*ing, n. A young devil. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl.

Dev"il*ish, a. 1. Resembling, characteristic of, or pertaining to, the devil; diabolical; wicked in the extreme. "Devilish wickedness." Sir P. Sidney.

This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

James iii. 15.

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

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

-- Dev"il*ish*ly, adv. -- Dev"il*ish*ness, n.

Dev"il*ism (?), n. The state of the devil or of devils; doctrine of the devil or of devils. Bp. Hall.

Dev"il*ize (?), v. t. To make a devil of. [R.]

He that should deify a saint, should wrong him as much as he that should devilize him.