devilry

English

Alternative forms

• deviltry

Etymology

From Middle English develrye; equivalent to devil +‎ -ry.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈdɛv.əl.ɹi/, /ˈdɛv.ɪl.ɹi/
• enPR: dĕv'əl-rē

Noun

devilry (countable and uncountable, plural devilries)

1. Mischief.
   • 2007 January 2, Arianne Cohen, Colleen Kinder, Confessions of a High School Word Nerd: Laugh Your Gluteus* Off and Increase Your SAT Verbal Score, Penguin, →ISBN, page 124:

     Their newfound devilry : prank-calling local businesses.

2. Wickedness; cruelty.
   • 2016 August 9, Leanna Renee Hieber, Eterna and Omega: The Eterna Files #2, Macmillan, →ISBN, page 239:

     "The Master's Society wishes to overturn the world order into his hands by devilry and chaos. There is good news that Mr. Stevens is repentant and under our employ and gave us a significant store of antidote for the violent toxin. We can dose the MPs."

3. An action performed with the help of a devil; witchcraft.
4. An act of such mischief, wickedness, cruelty, or witchcraft.
   • 2023 September 19, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Untamed Shore, Del Rey, →ISBN:

     […] pranks and devilries which turned slowly more unpleasant.

Derived terms

• printer's devilry

Translations

mischief

• Bulgarian: дяволия (bg) f (djavolija)
• Czech: neplecha f, nezbednost (cs) f, šibalství n, rošťáctví n
• Danish: drilagtighed c
• German: Unfug (de) m, böser (de) Ulk (de) m
• Irish: diabhlaíocht f, rógaireacht f, áibhirseoireacht f
• Maori: haututū
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: djevelskap (no) m or n

  Nynorsk: djevelskap m or n

• Portuguese: diabrura (pt) f, traquinagem (pt) f
• Swedish: djävulskap (sv) n

wickedness, cruelty

• Bulgarian: злоба (bg) f (zloba), жестокост (bg) f (žestokost)
• Czech: velké zlo
• Danish: vildskab (da) n
• German: Quälerei (de) f
• Maori: mōrikarika
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: djevelskap (no) m or n

  Nynorsk: djevelskap m or n

• Portuguese: diabrura (pt) f, maldade (pt) f

witchcraft

• Czech: čáry (cs) pl, černá magie, čarodějnictví n
• German: Hexerei (de) f
• Irish: diabhlaíocht f
• Portuguese: bruxaria (pt) f

An act of such mischief, wickedness, cruelty or witchcraft

• Czech: rošťárna f
• German: Teufelei (de) f, Unfug (de) m, Hexerei (de) f
• Portuguese: diabrura (pt) f

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Irish: ^{(please verify)} áibhirseoireacht f, ^{(please verify)} deamhnacht f, ^{(please verify)} diabhlaíocht f
• Norman: ^{(please verify)} dgiâbliéthie f (Jersey)