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devastate: devastate: [17] Etymologically as well as semantically, devastate is related to ‘lay waste’. It comes from the past participle of Latin dēvāstāre, a compound verb formed from the intensive prefix dē- and vāstāre ‘lay waste’. This was a derivative of vāstus ‘waste’, source of English waste.
=> vast, waste
develop: develop: [17] The history of develop and its close relative envelop is hazy. English acquired it from développer, the modern French descendant of Old French desveloper. This was a compound verb formed from the prefix des- ‘un-’ and voloper ‘wrap’. But where did voloper come from? Some have proposed a hypothetical Celtic base *vol- ‘roll’, while others have pointed to similarities, formal and semantic, with Italian viluppo ‘bundle’ and viluppare ‘wrap’, which come from an assumed late Latin *faluppa ‘husk’. Beyond that, however, the trail has gone cold.
=> envelop
deviate: deviate: see devious
device: device: [13] A device is something which has been devised – which, etymologically speaking, amounts to ‘something which has been divided’. For ultimately devise and divide come from the same source. The noun device comes in the first instance from Old French devis ‘division, contrivance’ and latterly (in the 15th century) from Old French devise ‘plan’, both of which were derivatives of the verb deviser ‘divide, devise’ (source of English devise [13]).

This in turn came from Vulgar Latin *dīvisāre, a verb based on the past participial stem of Latin dīvidere, source of English divide. The semantic development by which ‘divide’ passed to ‘contrive’, presumably based on the notion that dividing something up and distributing it needs some planning, happened before the word reached English, and English device has never meant ‘division’.

The sense ‘simple machine’ essentially evolved in the 16th century.
=> devise, divide, individual, widow
devil: devil: [OE] English acquired devil in the 8th century via late Latin diabolus from Greek diábolos, which originally meant ‘slanderer’. It was a derivative of diabállein ‘slander’, a compound verb literally meaning ‘throw across’, formed from diá ‘across’ and bállein ‘throw’ (whence English ballistics). The Greek word has reached most European languages: for example French diable, Italian diavolo, German teufel, Dutch duivel, Swedish djāvul, and Russian djavol. It has also given English diabolical [16], and indeed diabolo [20], a game played by spinning a top (named from a variant of Italian diavolo) on a string.
=> ballistics, diabolical
devious: devious: [16] Devious and its close relative deviate [17] are both based on the notion of going ‘out of the way’. They come respectively from Latin dēvius and dēviāre, compound adjective and verb formed from the prefix dē- ‘from’ and via ‘way’.
=> deviate, via
devolution: devolution: see volume
devout: devout: [13] Essentially, devout and devote [16] are the same word; they come from an identical source, but reached English along different routes. That source is dēvōtus, the past participle of Latin dēvovēre, which was a compound formed from the intensive prefix dē- and vovēre ‘promise’ (source of English vote and vow). This entered English originally via Old French devot as an adjective, and was then reborrowed directly from Latin in the 16th century as the basis for a verb.
=> devote, vote, vow
vaudeville: vaudeville: [18] In 15th-century France there was a fashion for songs from the valley of the Vire, in the Calvados region of Normandy (particularly popular, apparently, were the satirical songs composed by a local fuller, Olivier Basselin). They were known as chansons du Vau de Vire ‘songs of the valley of the Vire’, which became shortened to vaudevire, and this was later altered to vaudeville. It was originally used in English for a ‘popular song’; the application to ‘light variety entertainment’ did not emerge until the early 19th century.
bedevil (v.): 1768, "to treat diabolically, abuse," from be- + verbal use of devil (q.v.). Meaning "to mischievously confuse" is from 1755; that of "to drive frantic" is from 1823. Related: Bedeviled (1570s, in a literal sense, "possessed"); bedeviling.
bedevilment (n.): 1825, from bedevil + -ment.
daredevil (n.): 1794, "recklessly daring person," from dare (v.) + devil (n.). The devil might refer to the person, or the sense might be "one who dares the devil" (compare scarecrow, pickpocket, cutthroat, also fear-babe a 16c. word for "something that frightens children"). As an adjective, from 1832.
deva (n.): "god, good spirit" in Hindu religion, from Sanskrit deva "a god," originally "a shining one," from *div- "to shine," thus cognate with Greek dios "divine" and Zeus, and Latin deus "god" (Old Latin deivos); see Zeus.

Fem. form devi is used for "goddess," also (with capital D-) for the mother goddess in Hinduism. Hence, also, devadasi "temple dancing girl," literally "female servant of a god," from dasi "slave girl." Also Devanagari, the formal alphabet of Sanskrit writings, perhaps originally "divine city script," from nagara "city."
devaluation (n.): 1898; see de- + valuation. Specific application to currency is from 1914.
devalue (v.): 1918, a back-formation from devaluation. Related: Devalued; devaluing.
devastate (v.): 1630s, perhaps a back-formation from devastation. Apparently not common until 19c.; earlier verb form devast is attested from 1530s, from Middle French devaster. Related: devastated; devastating.
devastating (adj.): 1630s, present participle adjective from devastate. Trivial use by 1889.
devastation (n.): mid-15c., from Middle French dévastation, from Late Latin devastationem (nominative devastatio), from past participle stem of Latin devastare "lay waste completely," from de- "completely" (see de-) + vastare "lay waste," from vastus "empty, desolate" (see waste (v.)).
develop (v.): 1650s, "unroll, unfold," from French développer, replacing English disvelop (1590s, from Middle French desveloper), both from Old French desveloper "unwrap, unfurl, unveil; reveal the meaning of, explain," from des- "undo" + veloper "wrap up," which is of uncertain origin, possibly Celtic or Germanic. Modern figurative use is 18c. The photographic sense is from 1845; the real estate sense is from 1890.
developer (n.): 1833, "one who develops," agent noun from develop. Photography use attested from 1869; meaning "speculative builder" is from 1938.
development (n.): 1756, "an unfolding;" see develop + -ment. Of property, with the sense "bringing out the latent possibilities," from 1885 (Pickering's glossary of Americanisms, 1816, has betterments "The improvements made on new lands, by cultivation, and the erection of buildings, &c."). Meaning "state of economic advancement" is from 1902. Meaning "advancement through progressive stages" is 1836.
developmental (adj.): 1830, from development + -al (1). Developmentalist (1862) was a word for "follower of the theory of evolution."
deviance (n.): 1944; see deviant + -ance. A sociologists' word, perhaps coined because statisticians and astronomers already had claimed deviation.
deviant (adj.): c. 1400, from Late Latin deviantem (nominative devians), present participle of deviare "turn aside," from Latin phrase de via, from de "off" (see de-) + via "way" (see via). The noun meaning "one that deviates" is from late 15c.; in the sexual sense, from 1952; also deviate (n.), recorded since 1912.
deviate (v.): 1630s, from Late Latin deviatus, past participle of deviare "to turn out of the way" (see deviant). Related: Deviated; deviating. The noun meaning "sexual pervert" is attested from 1912.
deviation (n.): 1640s, noun of action from deviate (v.). Statistical sense is from 1858. Related: Deviational.
device (n.): late 13c., from Old French devis "division, separation, disposition, wish, desire; coat of arms, emblem; last will," from deviser "to divide, distribute" (see devise). Sense of "method by which something is divided" arose in French and led to modern meaning.
devil (n.): Old English deofol "evil spirit, a devil, the devil, false god, diabolical person," from Late Latin diabolus (also the source of Italian diavolo, French diable, Spanish diablo; German Teufel is Old High German tiufal, from Latin via Gothic diabaulus).

The Late Latin word is from Ecclesiastical Greek diabolos, in Jewish and Christian use, "Devil, Satan" (scriptural loan-translation of Hebrew satan), in general use "accuser, slanderer," from diaballein "to slander, attack," literally "throw across," from dia- "across, through" + ballein "to throw" (see ballistics). Jerome re-introduced Satan in Latin bibles, and English translators have used both in different measures.

In Vulgate, as in Greek, diabolus and dæmon (see demon) were distinct, but they have merged in English and other Germanic languages.

Playful use for "clever rogue" is from c. 1600. Meaning "sand spout, dust storm" is from 1835. In U.S. place names, the word often represents a native word such as Algonquian manito, more properly "spirit, god." Phrase a devil way (c. 1300) was originally "Hell-ward, to Hell," but by late 14c. as an expression of irritation.

Devil's books "playing cards" is from 1729, but the cited quote says they've been called that "time out of mind" (the four of clubs is the devil's bedposts); devil's coach-horse is from 1840, the large rove-beetle, which is defiant when disturbed. "Talk of the Devil, and he's presently at your elbow" [1660s].
devil's advocate (n.): 1760, translating Latin advocatus diaboli, one whose job it is to urge against the canonization of a candidate for sainthood. "[F]ar from being the whitewasher of the wicked, the [devil's advocate] is the blackener of the good." [Fowler]
devil-may-care (adj.): 1837 (but suggested in other forms by 1793).
devilish (adj.): mid-15c.; see devil + -ish. Related: Devilishly; devilishness.
devilled (adj.): "grilled with hot condiments," 1800; see devil.
devilment (n.): 1771; see devil + -ment.
devilry (n.): late 14c., from devil + -ry; deviltry (1788) is a corrupt formation from it.
devious (adj.): 1590s, "out of the way," from Latin devius "out of the way, remote, off the main road," from de via (see deviate). Originally in the Latin literal sense; figurative sense of "deceitful" is first recorded 1630s. Related: Deviously; deviousness. Figurative senses of the Latin word were "retired, sequestered, wandering in the byways, foolish, inconsistent."
devirginate (v.): late 15c.; see de- + virgin + -ate (2). Related: Devirginated.
devise (v.): early 13c., "to form, fashion;" c. 1300, "to plan, contrive," from Old French deviser "dispose in portions, arrange, plan, contrive" (in modern French, "to chat, gossip"), from Vulgar Latin *divisare, frequentative of Latin dividere "to divide" (see divide). Modern sense is from "to arrange a division" (especially via a will), a meaning present in the Old French word. Related: Devised; devising.
devoid (adj.): c. 1400, shortening of devoided, past participle of obsolete verb devoiden "to remove, void, vacate" (c. 1300), from Old French desvuidier (12c., Modern French dévider) "to empty out, flush game from, unwind, let loose (an arrow)," from des- "out, away" + voider "to empty," from voide "empty" (see void (adj.)).
devolution (n.): 1540s; see de- + evolution. Used in various legal and figurative senses; in biology, as the opposite of evolution, it is attested from 1882.
devolve (v.): early 15c., "to roll down," from Latin devolvere "to roll down," from de- (see de-) + volvere "to roll" (see volvox). Figurative sense of "to cause to pass down" is from 1520s. Related: Devolved; devolving. Also in same sense was devolute (1530s), from Latin devolutus, past participle of devolvere.
Devon: county name, Old English Defena(scir), late 9c., "(territory of the) Dumnonii," a Celtic name. As a type of cattle, from 1834.
Devonian (adj.): 1837, as a geological era, from the English county of Devon, where the Old Red Sandstone formations of that age are prominent, + -ian.
devote (v.): 1580s, from Latin devotus, past participle of devovere (see devotion). Second and third meanings in Johnson's Dictionary (1755) are "to addict, to give up to ill" and "to curse, to execrate; to doom to destruction." Related: Devoted; devoting.
devoted (adj.): 1590s, "set apart by a vow," past participle adjective from devote (v.). Meaning "characterized by devotion" is from c. 1600. Related: Devotedly.
devotee (n.): 1640s, from devote, with a French suffix, perhaps on model of assignee. Earlier in this sense was devote (1620s).
devotion (n.): early 13c., from Old French devocion "devotion, piety," from Latin devotionem (nominative devotio), noun of action from past participle stem of devovere "dedicate by a vow, sacrifice oneself, promise solemnly," from de- "down, away" (see de-) + vovere "to vow," from votum "vow" (see vow (n.)).

In ancient Latin, "act of consecrating by a vow," also "loyalty, fealty, allegiance;" in Church Latin, "devotion to God, piety." This was the original sense in English; the etymological sense, including secular situations, returned 16c. via Italian and French.
devotional (adj.): 1640s; see devotion + -al (1). The noun meaning "devotional composition" is recorded from 1650s.
devour (v.): early 14c., from Old French devorer (12c.) "devour, swallow up, engulf," from Latin devorare "swallow down, accept eagerly," from de- "down" (see de-) + vorare "to swallow" (see voracity). Related: Devoured; devouring.
devout (adj.): early 13c., from Old French devot "pious, devoted, assiduous," from Latin devotus "given up by vow, devoted," past participle of devovere "dedicate by vow" (see devotion).
medevac: 1966, U.S. military, formed from elements of medical evacuation.