speak of the devil Definition

devil
noun

1. relig.
The most powerful evil spirit; Satan.
Thesaurus: Satan, Beelzebub, Lucifer, the Prince of Darkness.
Form: the Devil
2. Any evil or wicked spirit.

Thesaurus: demon, fiend, Mephistopheles.
3. colloq
A mischievous or bad person.
Thesaurus: villain, renegade, beast, rascal, brute, swine, rogue, scoundrel, savage, bastard, terror.
4. colloq
A person of a stated type.
Example: lucky devil
5. Someone or something difficult to deal with.
6. Someone who excels at something.
7. Used for emphasis in mild oaths and exclamations

Example: What the devil is he doing?
Form: the devil
8. In various occupations and professions: an apprentice or junior employee expected to work on behalf of his superiors for little financial reward.

Example: printer's devil
9. meteorol.
A dust storm.
10. Any of various machines used especially for tearing.

verb devilled, devilling, deviled, deviling

1. To prepare or cook (meat, etc) with a spicy seasoning.
2. To do very menial work; to act as a drudge to someone.

Idiom: Be a devil!

colloq
Said to encourage someone to do something they are hesitating to do.

Idiom: between the devil and the deep blue sea

In a situation where the alternatives are equally undesirable.
Thesaurus: in trouble, desperate, in difficulty, between a rock and a hard place.

Idiom: devil take the hindmost

Said to encourage one to take care of one's own success, safety, etc with no thought for others.

Idiom: give the devil his due

To admit the good points of a person one dislikes.

Idiom: go to the devil

To be ruined.
Thesaurus: fail, degenerate, fall into bad habits, backslide, decay, go to pot (slang).

Usually said as a command, in anger: go away.

Idiom: like the devil

colloq
Very hard.

Idiom: speak of the devil (talk of the devil)

Said on the arrival of someone one has just been talking about.

Idiom: the devil to pay

Serious trouble as a consequence of an action, etc.

Etymology: 16c in this form; Anglo-Saxon deofol, from Greek diabolos slanderer.