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demon
1[ dee-muhn ]
noun
- an evil spirit; devil or fiend.
- an evil passion or influence.
- a person considered extremely wicked, evil, or cruel.
- a person with great energy, drive, etc.:
He's a demon for work.
- a person, especially a child, who is very mischievous:
His younger son is a real little demon.
- Australian Slang. a policeman, especially a detective.
adjective
- of, pertaining to, characteristic of, or noting a demon.
- possessed or controlled by a demon.
demon-
2- variant of demono- before a vowel:
demonism.
demon
/ ˈ徱ːə /
noun
- an evil spirit or devil
- a person, habit, obsession, etc, thought of as evil, cruel, or persistently tormenting
- Also calleddaemondaimon an attendant or ministering spirit; genius
the demon of inspiration
- a person who is extremely skilful in, energetic at, or devoted to a given activity, esp a sport
a demon at cycling
- ( as modifier )
a demon cyclist
- a variant spelling of daemon
- informal.a detective or policeman
- computing a part of a computer program, such as a help facility, that can run in the background behind the current task or application, and which will only begin to work when certain conditions are met or when it is specifically invoked
51Թ History and Origins
Origin of demon1
51Թ History and Origins
Origin of demon1
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Related 51Թs
51Թs That Use Demon-
What does Dz-mean?
Demon- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “demon.” It is used in a few technical terms, especially in theology.
Demon- comes from the Greek 岹óԾDz, meaning “thing of divine nature” and ultimate source of the English word demon. Among Jewish and Christian writers, 岹óԾDz was used to mean “evil spirit.”
Demon- is a variant of demono-, which loses its –o– when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels.
Want to know more? Read our 51Թs That Use demono- article.
Examples of demon-
One example of a theological term that features the combining form demon- is demonism, which can refer to the belief in or study of demons.
The first part of the word, demon- means “demon,” as we’ve seen. What about the -ism part of the word? The suffix -ism can refer to a kind of “theory” or a “devotion or adherence” to something. So, demonism literally translates to “demon devotion.”
What are some words that use or are related to the combining form demon-?
What are some other forms that demon- may be commonly confused with?
Not every word that begins with the exact letters demon- is necessarily using the combining form demon- to denote “demon,” such as demonym or demonetize. Learn their meaning and uses at our entries for the words.
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