The Evil One; Satan, represented as the tempter and spiritual of mankind. "(Jesus) being forty days tempted of the devil.""That old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world."
2.
An evil spirit; a demon. "A dumb man possessed with a devil."
3.
A very wicked person; hence, any great evil. "That devil Glendower.""The devil drunkenness.""Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?"
4.
An expletive of surprise, vexation, or emphasis, or, ironically, of negation. (Low) "The devil a puritan that he is,... but a timepleaser.""The things, we know, are neither rich nor rare, But wonder how the devil they got there."
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."
6.
(Manuf.) A machine for tearing or cutting rags, cotton, etc.
Devil bird (Zool.), one of two or more South African drongo shrikes (Edolius retifer, and Edolius remifer), believed by the natives to be connected with sorcery.
Devil may care, reckless, defiant of authority; used adjectively.
Devil's apron (Bot.), the large kelp (Laminaria saccharina, and Laminaria longicruris) of the Atlantic ocean, having a blackish, leathery expansion, shaped somewhat like an apron.
Devil's coachhorse. (Zool.)
(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. (Zool.) See under Darn, v. t.
Devil's fingers, Devil's hand (Zool.), the common British starfish (Asterias rubens); also applied to a sponge with stout branches. (Prov. Eng., Irish & Scot.)
Devil's riding-horse (Zool.), 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."
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."
Tasmanian devil (Zool.), a very savage carnivorous marsupial of Tasmania (Dasyurus ursinus syn. Diabolus ursinus).
To play devil with, to molest extremely; to ruin. (Low)
adjective
Blue adj. (compar. bluer; superl. bluest)
1.
Having the color of the clear sky, or a hue resembling it, whether lighter or darker; as, the deep, blue sea; as blue as a sapphire; blue violets. "The blue firmament."
2.
Pale, without redness or glare, said of a flame; hence, of the color of burning brimstone, betokening the presence of ghosts or devils; as, the candle burns blue; the air was blue with oaths.
3.
Low in spirits; melancholy; as, to feel blue.
4.
Suited to produce low spirits; gloomy in prospect; as, thongs looked blue. (Colloq.)
5.
Severe or over strict in morals; gloom; as, blue and sour religionists; suiting one who is over strict in morals; inculcating an impracticable, severe, or gloomy mortality; as, blue laws.
6.
Literary; applied to women; an abbreviation of bluestocking. (Colloq.) "The ladies were very blue and well informed."
Blue buck (Zool.), a small South African antelope (Cephalophus pygmaeus); also applied to a larger species (AEgoceras leucophaeus); the blaubok.
Blue cod (Zool.), the buffalo cod.
Blue crab (Zool.), the common edible crab of the Atlantic coast of the United States (Callinectes hastatus).
Blue curls (Bot.), a common plant (Trichostema dichotomum), resembling pennyroyal, and hence called also bastard pennyroyal.
Blue devils, apparitions supposed to be seen by persons suffering with delirium tremens; hence, very low spirits. "Can Gumbo shut the hall door upon blue devils, or lay them all in a red sea of claret?"
Blue gum, an Australian myrtaceous tree (Eucalyptus globulus), of the loftiest proportions, now cultivated in tropical and warm temperate regions for its timber, and as a protection against malaria. The essential oil is beginning to be used in medicine. The timber is very useful. See Eucalyptus.
Blue jack, Blue stone, blue vitriol; sulphate of copper.
Blue jacket, a man-of war's man; a sailor wearing a naval uniform.
Blue laws, a name first used in the eighteenth century to describe certain supposititious laws of extreme rigor reported to have been enacted in New Haven; hence, any puritanical laws. (U. S.)
Blue light, a composition which burns with a brilliant blue flame; used in pyrotechnics and as a night signal at sea, and in military operations.
Blue mantle (Her.), one of the four pursuivants of the English college of arms; so called from the color of his official robes.
Blue mass, a preparation of mercury from which is formed the blue pill.
Blue mold or Blue mould, the blue fungus (Aspergillus glaucus) which grows on cheese.
Blue Monday,
(a)
a Monday following a Sunday of dissipation, or itself given to dissipation (as the Monday before Lent).
(b)
a Monday considered as depressing because it is a workday in contrast to the relaxation of the weekend.
Blue ointment (Med.), mercurial ointment.
Blue Peter (British Marine), a blue flag with a white square in the center, used as a signal for sailing, to recall boats, etc. It is a corruption of blue repeater, one of the British signal flags.
Blue pill. (Med.)
(a)
A pill of prepared mercury, used as an aperient, etc.
(b)
Blue mass.
Blue ribbon.
(a)
The ribbon worn by members of the order of the Garter; hence, a member of that order.
(b)
Anything the attainment of which is an object of great ambition; a distinction; a prize. "These (scholarships) were the of the college."
(c)
The distinctive badge of certain temperance or total abstinence organizations, as of the Army.
Blue ruin, utter ruin; also, gin. (Eng. Slang)
Blue spar (Min.), azure spar; lazulite. See Lazulite.
Blue thrush (Zool.), a European and Asiatic thrush (Petrocossyphus cyaneas).
Blue vitriol (Chem.), sulphate of copper, a violet blue crystallized salt, used in electric batteries, calico printing, etc.
Blue water, the open ocean.
Big Blue, the International Business Machines corporation. (Wall Street slang.) PJC
To look blue, to look disheartened or dejected.
True blue, genuine and thorough; not modified, nor mixed; not spurious; specifically, of uncompromising Presbyterianism, blue being the color adopted by the Covenanters. "For his religion... 'T was Presbyterian, true blue."
... this mishap, was to keep on the best terms possible with Monsieur Hanski, who, to use the Frenchman's English expression, suffered from chronic blue devils. After leaving his new friends at Geneva, the novelist procured the Count an autograph letter from Rossini, this great composer being a favourite at Wierzchownia. To his new lady-love he sent an effusion of his own in verse, having small poetic ... — Balzac • Frederick Lawton Read full book for free!
... myself, that I have been better since I wrote to you. Mazzinghi {14} tells me that November weather breeds Blue Devils—so that there is a French proverb, 'In October, de Englishman shoot de pheasant: in November he shoot himself.' This I suppose is the case with me: so away with November, as soon as may be. 'Canst thou my Clora' is being put in proper musical ... — Letters of Edward FitzGerald - in two volumes, Vol. 1 • Edward FitzGerald Read full book for free!
... companion. He renewed his mysterious physiognomical play, making at the same time a rapid tremulous movement in the air with his fingers. He was evidently finding Mademoiselle Noemie extremely interesting; the blue devils had departed, ... — The American • Henry James Read full book for free!
... Machine in waiting. Took the air for a look about. Manitou left me a mile up. Evidently likes the Alps. Soared over Mount Terrible whither I dared not venture—yet! Saw no Huns. Back by sundown. Manitou dropped in to dinner—like a thunderbolt from the zenith. Astonishment of Blue Devils on guard. Much curiosity. Manitou a hero. All see in him an omen ... — In Secret • Robert W. Chambers Read full book for free!
... 'e goes on, Sir, sober as a judge you'd say, an' then nex' minnit 'e's on the floor aseein' blue devils... — Snake and Sword - A Novel • Percival Christopher Wren Read full book for free!
... Mobray. "Miss Meredith could not see under our cloaks, and so, no doubt, thought us rebels. Who wouldn't scream at the prospect of an attack of the Continental blue devils—eh, Miss Janice?" ... — Janice Meredith • Paul Leicester Ford Read full book for free!
... Hanska, M. Wenceslas de Hanski, who was never a count, but a very rich man, was many years her senior, and suffered from "blue devils" and paresis a long time before his death. Though he was very generous with his wife in allowing her to travel, she often suffered from ennui in her beautifully furnished chateau of Wierzchownia, which Balzac described as being ... — Women in the Life of Balzac • Juanita Helm Floyd Read full book for free!
... was lonesome. So lonesome that there were times when life looked absolutely worthless; when the blue devils made him their plaything, and he saw Billy Louise looking scornfully upon him and loving some other man better; when he saw his name blackened by the suspicion that he was a rustler—preying upon his neighbors' cattle; when he saw Buck Olney laughing in derision of his mercy and fixing fresh evidence ... — The Ranch at the Wolverine • B. M. Bower Read full book for free!
... Titus, "was a sanguineous effusion, as we call it—positive determination of blood to the head, occasioned by a low way he got into, just before his attack—a confirmed case of hypochondriasis, as that ould book Sir Piers was so fond of terms the blue devils. He neglected the bottle, which, in a man who has been a hard drinker all his life, is a bad sign. The lowering system never answers—never. Doctor, I'll just trouble you"—for Small, in a fit of absence, had omitted to pass the bottle, though not to help himself. "Had he stuck to this"—holding ... — Rookwood • William Harrison Ainsworth Read full book for free!
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