satan

name

1. The supreme evil spirit in the Abrahamic religions, who tempts humanity into sin; the Devil; (Theistic Satanism) the same figure, regarded as a deity to be revered and worshipped.

   “Many Satanists reject the notion that Satan is bad.”

   “And he shewed me Ioshua the high Priest, standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. / And the Lord said vnto Satan; The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan, euen the Lord that hath chosen Ierusalem rebuke thee. Is not this a brand pluckt out of the fire?”

   “Would you two please draw in a little closer? / No — no, that’s not a smile there. That’s a grin. / Satan, what ails you? Where’s the famous tongue, / Thou onetime Prince of Conversationists?”

   “Having been captured by the forces of Christ, the souls are now attacked for the first time by their former captain in “Satans Rage at them in their Conversion.″ Satan′s basic line of attack is to accuse the souls of being unreliable converts. Just as the souls turned from Satan to Christ, so too they will turn back again when it suits them, says Satan.”

   “The conventional role of Satan in English mystery plays was the Trickster archetype adapted for a theatre that was both popular and religious but constrained by traditional Christian theology. / The Satan of the mystery plays was a Trickster, but a dignified one.”

2. (countable)A person or animal regarded as particularly malignant, detestable, or evil; used as an epithet or as a name for an animal.

   “'Cause I finished with him, so I just felt kind of relieved and empowered afterwards, you know? He was tryin' to dilute my squash, and I was like, "Not today, Satan."”

noun

1. (countable)A demon follower of Satan (principal evil spirit); a fallen angel.

   “This literature refers to a major figurehead of evil called “Satan,” the leader of a group of angels also referred to as “Satans.” These Satans accuse people and lead them astray.”

   “2007, Abdullah Yusuf Ali (translator), M. A. H. Eliyasee (Roman script transliteration), Osman Taha (Arabic script), The Qur′an, II, 102, page 15, They followed what the Satans recited over Solomon′s Kingdom. Solomon did not disbelieve but Satans disbelieved, teaching men magic, and such things as came down at Babylon to the angels Hārūt and Mārūt.”

2. Anything that causes destruction or is viewed as evil.

   “Hrothgar and his eldermen lived happily in Hereot Hall until the day that Grendel, a living fiend out of Hell, a Satan who ruled over swamps and marshes, came stalking toward them.”

3. (alt-of, alternative)Alternative form of Satan (especially in the sense "a demon follower of Satan; a fallen angel").

   “According to Wahb b. Munnabih, Muhammad b. Ka‘b, and other authorities: Solomon was led to this [test of her intelligence] because the satans feared that he would marry her and make her desirous of having his offspring. She would then disclose to him the secrets of the jinn, and they would never rid themselves of their subservience to Solomon and his offspring to follow.”

   “He tells them to go away, calling them ‘You little satans!’ and then the children′s faces become ghoulish and they begin snapping at him, trying to bite him. A short time later, we see Judas being chased by about a dozen of these children; he falls and they kick and hit him. Twice, we see the figure of Satan (recognizable from the opening scene) standing among the demon-children.”

4. (alt-of, obsolete)Obsolete form of satin.