Beelzebub

American  

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

noun

1. the chief devil; Satan.

2. a devil.

3. (in Milton'sParadise Lost ) one of the fallen angels, second only to Satan.

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Beelzebub British  

/ bɪˈɛlzɪˌbʌb /

noun

1. Old Testament a god of the Philistines (2 Kings 1:2)

2. Satan or any devil or demon

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Beelzebub Cultural  

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

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By extension, a “Beelzebub” is any demon or evil spirit.

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

Etymology

Origin of Beelzebub

Old English Belzebub , ultimately from Hebrew bá`al zebūb , literally: lord of flies

Example Sentences

Reynolds helped supply Melville with a more Stygian idea, by exhorting his men to attack Mocha Dick as “though he were Beelzebub himself!” — a demon rather than a whale.

From New York Times • May 2, 2020

With the goalie nowhere to be found, Beelzebub had a wide open cage that even the bendiest bender could have scored on.

From Golf Digest • Jan. 26, 2020

McGehee, who is reportedly “super eager to put pen to paper,” told Deadline that the novel “has a lot of meaning embedded in it,” which should thrill Beelzebub.

From Washington Post • Aug. 30, 2017

The show is a kind of trashy “Pilgrim’s Progress,” with Charity meeting her version of Beelzebub, Evangelist, and so on, as she tries not to give up on the possibility of a relationship.

From The New Yorker • Nov. 27, 2016

He soon realizes that, lying next to him similarly battered, is his lieutenant, Beelzebub.

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith

Related Words

• Satan