give the devil his due
əl noun
1.
Theology.
a.
( sometimes initial capital letter ) the supreme spirit of evil; Satan.
b.
a subordinate evil spirit at enmity with God, and having power to afflict humans both with bodily disease and with spiritual corruption.
2.
an atrociously wicked, cruel, or ill-tempered person.
3.
a person who is very clever, energetic, reckless, or mischievous.
4.
a person, usually one in unfortunate or pitiable circumstances: The poor devil kept losing jobs through no fault of his own.
5.
Also called printer's devil. Printing. a young worker below the level of apprentice in a printing office.
6.
any of various mechanical devices, as a machine for tearing rags, a machine for manufacturing wooden screws, etc.
7.
Nautical. (in deck or hull planking) any of various seams difficult to caulk because of form or position.
8.
any of various portable furnaces or braziers used in construction and foundry work.
9.
the devil, (used as an emphatic expletive or mild oath to express disgust, anger, astonishment, negation, etc.): What the devil do you mean by that?
verb (used with object)
10.
to annoy; harass; pester: to devil Mom and Dad for a new car.
11.
to tear (rags, cloth, etc.) with a devil.
12.
Cookery. to prepare (food, usually minced) with hot or savory seasoning: to devil eggs.
00:10
Give the devil his due
is always a great word to know.
So is zedonk. Does it mean:
| a chattering or flighty, light-headed person. |
| the offspring of a zebra and a donkey. |
13.
between the devil and the deep (blue) sea, between two undesirable alternatives; in an unpleasant dilemma.
14.
devil of a, extremely difficult or annoying; hellish: I had a devil of a time getting home through the snow.
15.
give the devil his due, to give deserved credit even to a person one dislikes: To give the devil his due, you must admit that she is an excellent psychologist.
16.
go to the devil,
a.
to fail completely; lose all hope or chance of succeeding.
b.
to become depraved.
c.
(an expletive expressing annoyance, disgust, impatience, etc.)
17.
let the devil take the hindmost, to leave the least able or fortunate persons to suffer adverse consequences; leave behind or to one's fate: They ran from the pursuing mob and let the devil take the hindmost.
18.
play the devil with, to ruin completely; spoil: The financial crisis played the devil with our investment plans.
19.
raise the devil,
a.
to cause a commotion or disturbance.
b.
to celebrate wildly; revel.
c.
to make an emphatic protest or take drastic measures.
20.
the devil to pay, trouble to be faced; mischief in the offing: If conditions don't improve, there will be the devil to pay.
Origin:
before 900; Middle English devel, Old English dēofol < Late Latin diabolus < Greek diábolos Satan (Septuagint, NT), literally, slanderer (noun), slanderous (adj.), verbid of diabállein to assault someone's character, literally, to throw across, equivalent to dia- dia- + bállein to throw
before 900; Middle English devel, Old English dēofol < Late Latin diabolus < Greek diábolos Satan (Septuagint, NT), literally, slanderer (noun), slanderous (adj.), verbid of diabállein to assault someone's character, literally, to throw across, equivalent to dia- dia- + bállein to throw
Related forms
out·dev·il, verb (used with object), out·dev·iled, out·dev·il·ing or ( especially British ) out·dev·illed, out·dev·il·ling.
sub·dev·il, noun
un·der·dev·il, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
devil (ˈdɛvəl) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | (often capital) theol the chief spirit of evil and enemy of God, often represented as the ruler of hell and often depicted as a human figure with horns, cloven hoofs, and tail |
| 2. | theol one of the subordinate evil spirits of traditional Jewish and Christian belief |
| 3. | a person or animal regarded as cruel, wicked, or ill-natured |
| 4. | a person or animal regarded as unfortunate or wretched: that poor devil was ill for months |
| 5. | a person or animal regarded as clever, daring, mischievous, or energetic |
| 6. | informal something difficult or annoying |
| 7. | Christian Science the opposite of truth; an error, lie, or false belief in sin, sickness, and death |
| 8. | (in Malaysia) a ghost |
| 9. | Compare salamander a portable furnace or brazier, esp one used in road-making or one used by plumbers |
| 10. | any of various mechanical devices, usually with teeth, such as a machine for making wooden screws or a rag-tearing machine |
| 11. | See printer's devil |
| 12. | law (in England) a junior barrister who does work for another in order to gain experience, usually for a half fee |
| 13. | meteorol a small whirlwind in arid areas that raises dust or sand in a column |
| 14. | between the devil and the deep blue sea between equally undesirable alternatives |
| 15. | informal devil of (intensifier): a devil of a fine horse |
| 16. | give the devil his due to acknowledge the talent or the success of an opponent or unpleasant person |
| 17. | go to the devil |
| a. to fail or become dissipated | |
| b. (interjection) used to express annoyance with the person causing it | |
| 18. | like the devil with great speed, determination, etc |
| 19. | informal play the devil with to make much worse; upset considerably: the damp plays the devil with my rheumatism |
| 20. | raise the devil |
| a. to cause a commotion | |
| b. to make a great protest | |
| 21. | (interjection) talk of the devil!, speak of the devil! used when an absent person who has been the subject of conversation appears |
| 22. | ( |
| a. used in such phrases as what the devil, where the devil, etc | |
| b. an exclamation of anger, surprise, disgust, etc | |
| 23. | the devil's own a very difficult or problematic (thing) |
| 24. | the devil take the hindmost, let the devil take the hindmost look after oneself and leave others to their fate |
| 25. | the devil to pay problems or trouble to be faced as a consequence of an action |
| 26. | the very devil something very difficult or awkward |
| —vb , -ils, -illing, -illed, -ils, -iling, -iled | |
| 27. | (tr) to prepare (esp meat, poultry, or fish) by coating with a highly flavoured spiced paste or mixture of condiments before cooking |
| 28. | (tr) to tear (rags) with a devil |
| 29. | (intr) to serve as a printer's devil |
| 30. | chiefly (Brit) (intr) to do hackwork, esp for a lawyer or author; perform arduous tasks, often without pay or recognition of one's services |
| 31. | informal (US) (tr) to harass, vex, torment, etc |
| [Old English dēofol, from Latin diabolus, from Greek diabolos enemy, accuser, slanderer, from diaballein, literally: to throw across, hence, to slander] | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
devil
O.E. deofol "evil spirit," from L.L. diabolus, from Gk. diabolos "accuser, slanderer" (scriptural loan-translation of Heb. satan), from diaballein "to slander, attack," lit. "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 Gk., 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 (late 13c.) was originally an emphatic form of away, but taken 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].
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary
Give the devil his due definition
Admit it when there is some good even in a person you dislike. This saying appears in Don Quixote, by Miguel de Cervantes.
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Easton
Bible Dictionary
Devil definition
(Gr. diabolos), a slanderer, the arch-enemy of man's spiritual interest (Job 1:6; Rev. 2:10; Zech. 3:1). He is called also "the accuser of the brethen" (Rev. 12:10). In Lev. 17:7 the word "devil" is the translation of the Hebrew _sair_, meaning a "goat" or "satyr" (Isa. 13:21; 34:14), alluding to the wood-daemons, the objects of idolatrous worship among the heathen. In Deut. 32:17 and Ps. 106:37 it is the translation of Hebrew _shed_, meaning lord, and idol, regarded by the Jews as a "demon," as the word is rendered in the Revised Version. In the narratives of the Gospels regarding the "casting out of devils" a different Greek word (daimon) is used. In the time of our Lord there were frequent cases of demoniacal possession (Matt. 12:25-30; Mark 5:1-20; Luke 4:35; 10:18, etc.).
Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases
give the devil his due
Give credit to what is good in a disagreeable or disliked person. For example, I don't like John's views on education, but give the devil his due, he always has something important to say, or I don't like what the new management has done, but give the devil his due, sales have improved. [Late 1500s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Nearby Words
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