devil

• n. 魔鬼；撒旦；家伙；恶棍；淘气鬼；冒失鬼
• vt. 虐待，折磨；（用扯碎机）扯碎；（替作家，律师等）做助手；抹辣味料烤制或煎煮

来自拉丁语diabolus, 穿过，诽谤，攻击，词源同diabolic.来自dia-，穿过，-ball, 投掷，词源同ballistic, kill. 后用于指魔鬼。

来自天主教神学名词。原指教堂的一项特殊职务，其职能是对即将宣圣或成为圣徒的凡人进行行为或德行审查，以确保成为圣徒者德行之完美，其对应职务为God’s advocate. 其原先功能部分类似于现在的中纪委，而现在的词义就类似于走过场，一唱一和以使程序完美。

1. one of the evil spirits of traditional Jewish and Christian belief

2. a word used in exclamations of confusion;

"what the devil"

"the deuce with it"

"the dickens you say"

3. a rowdy or mischievous person (usually a young man);

"he chased the young hellions out of his yard"

4. a cruel wicked and inhuman person

devil

devil: [OE] English acquired devil in the 8th century via late Latin diabolus from Greek diábolos, which originally meant ‘slanderer’. It was a derivative of diabállein ‘slander’, a compound verb literally meaning ‘throw across’, formed from diá ‘across’ and bállein ‘throw’ (whence English ballistics). The Greek word has reached most European languages: for example French diable, Italian diavolo, German teufel, Dutch duivel, Swedish djāvul, and Russian djavol. It has also given English diabolical [16], and indeed diabolo [20], a game played by spinning a top (named from a variant of Italian diavolo) on a string.
=> ballistics, diabolical

devil (n.)

Old English deofol "evil spirit, a devil, the devil, false god, diabolical person," from Late Latin diabolus (also the source of Italian diavolo, French diable, Spanish diablo; German Teufel is Old High German tiufal, from Latin via Gothic diabaulus).

The Late Latin word is from Ecclesiastical Greek diabolos, in Jewish and Christian use, "Devil, Satan" (scriptural loan-translation of Hebrew satan), in general use "accuser, slanderer," from diaballein "to slander, attack," literally "throw across," from dia- "across, through" + ballein "to throw" (see ballistics). Jerome re-introduced Satan in Latin bibles, and English translators have used both in different measures.

In Vulgate, as in Greek, diabolus and dæmon (see demon) were distinct, but they have merged in English and other Germanic languages.

Playful use for "clever rogue" is from c. 1600. Meaning "sand spout, dust storm" is from 1835. In U.S. place names, the word often represents a native word such as Algonquian manito, more properly "spirit, god." Phrase a devil way (c. 1300) was originally "Hell-ward, to Hell," but by late 14c. as an expression of irritation.

Devil's books "playing cards" is from 1729, but the cited quote says they've been called that "time out of mind" (the four of clubs is the devil's bedposts); devil's coach-horse is from 1840, the large rove-beetle, which is defiant when disturbed. "Talk of the Devil, and he's presently at your elbow" [1660s].

I especially like the episode called "The Printer's Devil.

出自-2013年6月听力原文

Smith, it seems, is really the devil!

出自-2013年6月听力原文

Small wonder that an Indian legend described Devils Tower as being formed by supernatural powers.

出自-2016年12月听力原文

Devils Tower, the first national monument in America, could almost be mistaken for the stump of an enormous tree.

出自-2016年12月听力原文

Devils Tower is a relic of the past.

出自-2016年12月听力原文

Born in fire and fury, Devils Tower was then shaped by the slow, gentle work of wind and water.

出自-2016年12月听力原文

In the 2006 film version of The Devil Wears Prada ,Miranda Priestly, played by Meryl Streep, scolds her unattractive assistant for imagining that high fashion doesn’t affect her, Priestly explains how the deep blue color of the assistant’s sweater descended over the years from fashion shows to departments stores and to the bargain bin in which the poor girl doubtless found her garment.

出自-2013年考研阅读原文

In the 2006 film version of The Devil Wears Prada, miranda Priestly, played by Meryl Streep, scolds her unattractive assistant for imagining that high fashion doesn't affect her.

2013年考研真题（英语一）阅读理解 Section Ⅱ

I've had a devil of a job finding you.

我费了九牛二虎之力才找到你。

牛津词典

We ran like the devil.

我们跑得飞快。

牛津词典

Well, speak of the devil─here's Alice now!

嗬，说曹操，曹操就到——瞧，艾丽斯这不来啦！

牛津词典

What the devil do you think you're doing?

你到底想干什么？

牛津词典

They believed she was possessed by devils.

他们认为她是魔鬼附身。

牛津词典

a naughty little devil

小淘气鬼

牛津词典

I miss the old devil, now that he's gone.

老家伙这一走，我还真想他。

牛津词典

She's off to Greece for a month─lucky devil!

她去希腊一个月——真是个幸运儿！

牛津词典

Go on, be a devil, buy both of them.

来，怕什么，两个都买了吧！

牛津词典

These berries are the devil to pick because they're so small.

这些浆果太小了，很难摘。

牛津词典

She blamed the crimes on the local jobless teenagers. ‘The devil makes work for idle hands, ’ she would say.

她认为那些违法行为是当地的无业青少年所为，总是说：“人一闲，惹麻烦”。

牛津词典

'What the devil's the matter?'

“究竟出了什么事？”

柯林斯高阶英语词典

Tim wondered how the devil they had managed it...

蒂姆想知道他们究竟是怎么做到的。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

Well, talk of the devil!

呵，说曹操，曹操就到！

柯林斯高阶英语词典

Every one for himself and the devil take the hindmost.

人人都只考虑自己，谁落后谁倒霉。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

He must have driven like the devil.

他一定是把车开得飞快。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

'I think he was a bit of a devil,' Constance said.

“我想他有点儿淘气，”康斯坦丝说道。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

He was always a devil of a nuisance...

他总是极讨人厌。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

It's a devil of a tricky problem,isn't it?

这是个非常棘手的问题，不是吗？

柯林斯高阶英语词典

We had the devil's own job to persuade him to take part.

我们说服他参加可费了一番周折。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

He drives himself on, working like the devil from seven in the morning until midnight...

他不断敦促自己，从早上 7 点一直拼命工作到午夜。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

...the idea of angels with wings and devils with horns and hoofs.

天使长着翅膀、魔鬼长着角和蹄这样的观念

柯林斯高阶英语词典

I felt sorry for Blake, poor devil...

我替布莱克感到难过，这个可怜的家伙。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

Manfred, you're a suspicious old devil...

曼弗雷德，你是个可疑的老家伙。

柯林斯高阶英语词典