What does devilled mean?
Devilled describes food that has been prepared with a hot, piquant seasoning — typically mustard, cayenne, chilli, or Worcestershire sauce — giving it a fiery kick. It is most familiar from classic dishes such as devilled eggs, in which hard-boiled egg yolks are mixed with mustard and spice, and devilled kidneys, a staple of traditional British breakfast cookery. The term also functions as the past tense of the verb 'to devil', which can mean either to season food in this way or, more figuratively, to torment or pester someone relentlessly. The word derives from 'devil', reflecting the old notion that such fiercely hot food was fit for the Devil himself. In British English it is spelled with a double L ('devilled'), while American usage generally favours 'deviled' with one. Today the culinary sense dominates, appearing largely in menus, recipe books, and food writing, where it carries a slightly old-fashioned, robustly appetizing connotation.
(of food) Cooked or served with a hot, spicy seasoning such as mustard or cayenne pepper.
"The starter was devilled whitebait with a sharp lemon dressing."
Chiefly used attributively before the name of a dish; British spelling prefers the double L.
Past tense and past participle of 'devil': to season and cook food with hot spices, or to harass and torment someone.
"The chef devilled the lamb chops with a mustard crust."
The Victorians were so fond of fiery food that 'to devil' became a proper cooking verb — and those 'devilled eggs' on your picnic table have been tempting diners since the 18th century.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of devilled
Devilled comes from 'devil', which entered Old English as 'dēofol' from Ecclesiastical Latin 'diabolus', itself borrowed from Greek 'diabolos', meaning 'slanderer' or 'accuser'. The culinary use arose in 18th-century English, when dishes laced with hot mustard or cayenne were said to be prepared 'for the Devil' or made devilishly hot. From this grew the verb 'to devil', meaning to cook with fierce seasoning, and figuratively to harass someone as if possessed or tormented. The related adjective 'diabolical' shares the same Greek root.
Related word forms
How devilled is actually used
The double-L spelling is standard in British English; American usage normally writes 'deviled'. The culinary sense is by far the most common today and appears mostly in food writing and menus. The tormenting sense of the underlying verb is literary and now rare.
Easily confused with devilled
'Deveined' means having had the intestinal vein removed (as from shrimp), while 'devilled' means prepared with hot spicy seasoning.