devilry

[ dev-uh l-ree ]

/ ˈdɛv əl ri /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR devilry ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural dev·il·ries.

Nearby words

devil-may-care, devilfish, devilish, devilkin, devilment, devilry, devils-on-horseback, deviltry, devilwood, devine, deviometer

Origin of devilry

Middle English word dating back to 1325–75; see origin at devil, -ry

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for devilry

My experience is that a man who makes accurate forecasts of the weather may get up to any devilry.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 159, October 6, 1920|Various
There is something else to it, devilry and evil spells, or so I think.
Flemish Legends|Charles de Coster
The brown midget showed angry distrust of us, knowing what devilry was in his own mind.
The Sea and the Jungle|H. M. Tomlinson
Mr. Adister peered into his brows profoundly for a glimpse of the devilry in that exclusion of the valse.
The Celt and Saxon, Complete|George Meredith

The Second Part of Faust is devilry all through, a tissue of bewilderments and devilries.
The Three Devils: Luther's, Milton's, and Goethe's|David Masson

British Dictionary definitions for devilry

devilry

deviltry

/ (ˈdɛvəlrɪ) /

noun plural -ries or -tries

reckless or malicious fun or mischief

wickedness or cruelty

black magic or other forms of diabolism

Word Origin for devilry

C18: from French diablerie, from diable devil

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