Beelzebub

[ bee-el-zuh-buhb, beel-zuh- ]
/ biˈɛl zəˌbʌb, ˈbil zə- /

noun

the chief devil; Satan.
a devil.
(in Milton's Paradise Lost) one of the fallen angels, second only to Satan.

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?
Question 1 of 10
decorum
the act of or need for making up one's mind.
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to beelzebub

beast, devil, archangel, Mephistopheles, Lucifer, demon, Antichrist, rogue, scamp, ogre, imp, dastard, adversary, brute, knave, villain, Satan, hellion, fiend, genie

Example sentences from the Web for beelzebub

British Dictionary definitions for beelzebub

Beelzebub
/ (bɪˈɛlzɪˌbʌb) /

noun

Old Testament a god of the Philistines (2 Kings 1:2)
Satan or any devil or demon

Word Origin for Beelzebub

Old English Belzebub, ultimately from Hebrew bá`al zebūb, literally: lord of flies
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for beelzebub

Beelzebub
[ (bee-el-zuh-bub) ]

Another name for Satan. Originally a Philistine god, he is called the Prince of Devils in the New Testament.

notes for Beelzebub

Beelzebub also appears in Milton's Paradise Lost as one of the fallen angels, second only to Satan in power.

notes for Beelzebub

By extension, a “Beelzebub” is any demon or evil spirit.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.