The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Mantis \Man"tis\, n. [NL., fr. Gr. ? a prophet.] (Zool.)
Any one of numerous species of voracious orthopterous insects
of the genus Mantis, and allied genera. They are predacious
long-bodied large-eyed insects of warm regions, are
remarkable for their slender grotesque forms, and for holding
their stout anterior legs in a manner suggesting hands folded
in prayer. The common American species is Mantis Carolina.
[1913 Webster]
Mantis shrimp. (Zool.) The Squilla, a tropical marine
burrowing crustacean with large grasping appendages. Also
called mantis crab and mantis prawn.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Devil \Dev"il\, n. [AS. de['o]fol, de['o]ful; akin to G. ?eufel,
Goth. diaba['u]lus; all fr. L. diabolus the devil, Gr. ? the
devil, the slanderer, fr. ? to slander, calumniate, orig., to
throw across; ? across + ? to throw, let fall, fall; cf. Skr.
gal to fall. Cf. Diabolic.]
1. The Evil One; Satan, represented as the tempter and
spiritual of mankind.
[1913 Webster]
[Jesus] being forty days tempted of the devil.
--Luke iv. 2.
[1913 Webster]
That old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which
deceiveth the whole world. --Rev. xii. 9.
[1913 Webster]
2. An evil spirit; a demon.
[1913 Webster]
A dumb man possessed with a devil. --Matt. ix.
32.
[1913 Webster]
3. A very wicked person; hence, any great evil. "That devil
Glendower." "The devil drunkenness." --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a
devil? --John vi. 70.
[1913 Webster]
4. An expletive of surprise, vexation, or emphasis, or,
ironically, of negation. [Low]
[1913 Webster]
The devil a puritan that he is, . . . but a
timepleaser. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
The things, we know, are neither rich nor rare,
But wonder how the devil they got there. --Pope.
[1913 Webster]
5. (Cookery) A dish, as a bone with the meat, broiled and
excessively peppered; a grill with Cayenne pepper.
[1913 Webster]
Men and women busy in baking, broiling, roasting
oysters, and preparing devils on the gridiron. --Sir
W. Scott.
[1913 Webster]
6. (Manuf.) A machine for tearing or cutting rags, cotton,
etc.
[1913 Webster]
Blue devils. See under Blue.
Cartesian devil. See under Cartesian.
Devil bird (Zool.), one of two or more South African drongo
shrikes (Edolius retifer, and Edolius remifer),
believed by the natives to be connected with sorcery.
Devil may care, reckless, defiant of authority; -- used
adjectively. --Longfellow.
Devil's apron (Bot.), the large kelp (Laminaria
saccharina, and Laminaria longicruris) of the Atlantic
ocean, having a blackish, leathery expansion, shaped
somewhat like an apron.
Devil's coachhorse. (Zool.)
(a) The black rove beetle (Ocypus olens). [Eng.]
(b) A large, predacious, hemipterous insect (Prionotus
cristatus); the wheel bug. [U.S.]
Devil's darning-needle. (Zool.) See under Darn, v. t.
Devil's fingers, Devil's hand (Zool.), the common British
starfish (Asterias rubens); -- also applied to a sponge
with stout branches. [Prov. Eng., Irish & Scot.]
Devil's riding-horse (Zool.), the American mantis (Mantis
Carolina).
The Devil's tattoo, a drumming with the fingers or feet.
"Jack played the Devil's tattoo on the door with his boot
heels." --F. Hardman (Blackw. Mag.).
Devil worship, worship of the power of evil; -- still
practiced by barbarians who believe that the good and evil
forces of nature are of equal power.
Printer's devil, the youngest apprentice in a printing
office, who runs on errands, does dirty work (as washing
the ink rollers and sweeping), etc. "Without fearing the
printer's devil or the sheriff's officer." --Macaulay.
Tasmanian devil (Zool.), a very savage carnivorous
marsupial of Tasmania (Dasyurus ursinus syn. Diabolus
ursinus).
To play devil with, to molest extremely; to ruin. [Low]
[1913 Webster]