Transcription
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
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- [stressed th ee dev-uh l too pey]
- /stressed ði ˈdɛv əl tu peɪ/
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
-
- [stressed th ee dev-uh l too pey]
- /stressed ði ˈdɛv əl tu peɪ/
Definitions of the devil to pay words
- noun the devil to pay Theology. (sometimes initial capital letter) the supreme spirit of evil; Satan. a subordinate evil spirit at enmity with God, and having power to afflict humans both with bodily disease and with spiritual corruption. 1
- noun the devil to pay an atrociously wicked, cruel, or ill-tempered person. 1
- noun the devil to pay a person who is very clever, energetic, reckless, or mischievous. 1
- noun the devil to pay a person, usually one in unfortunate or pitiable circumstances: The poor devil kept losing jobs through no fault of his own. 1
- noun the devil to pay Also called printer's devil. Printing. a young worker below the level of apprentice in a printing office. 1
- noun the devil to pay any of various mechanical devices, as a machine for tearing rags, a machine for manufacturing wooden screws, etc. 1
Information block about the term
Origin of the devil to pay
First appearance:
before 900 One of the 4% oldest English words
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
Historical Comparancy
Parts of speech for The devil to pay
noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
the devil to pay popularity
A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 98% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".
the devil to pay usage trend in Literature
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