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; fem. of Deva. A goddess.

Deviating. [Obs.]

; to err; to digress; to diverge; to vary. Thus Pegasus, a nearer way to take, May boldly deviate from the common track. Pope.

The act of deviating; a wandering from the way; variation from the common way, from an established rule, etc.; departure, as from the right course or the path of duty.

One who, or that which, deviates.

Tending to deviate; devious; as, deviatory motion. [R.] Tully.

That which is devised, or formed by design; a contrivance; an invention; a project; a scheme; often, a scheme to deceive; a stratagem; an artifice. His device in against Babylon, to destroy it. Jer. li. 11. Their recent device of demanding benevolences. Hallam. He disappointeth the devices of the crafty. Job v. 12.…

Full of devices; inventive. [R.] A carpet, rich, and of deviceful thread. Chapman.

In a deviceful manner. [R.]

resented as the tempter and spiritual of mankind. [Jesus] being forty days tempted of the devil. Luke iv. 2. That old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world. Rev. xii. 9.

A dragon fly. See Darning needle, under Darn, v. t.

A small water bird. See Dabchick.

A she-devil. [R.] Sterne.

A little devil. [R.] Barham.

A huge ray (Manta birostris or Cephaloptera vampyrus) of the Gulf of Mexico and Southern Atlantic coasts. Several other related species take the same name. See Cephaloptera.

A young devil. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl.

Resembling, characteristic of, or pertaining to, the devil; diabolical; wicked in the extreme. "Devilish wickedness." Sir P. Sidney. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. James iii. 15.

The state of the devil or of devils; doctrine of the devil or of devils. Bp. Hall.

To make a devil of. [R.] He that should deify a saint, should wrong him as much as he that should devilize him. Bp. Hall.

A little devil; a devilet.