daeva

noun

dae·​va

variants or deva

ˈdāvə

or dev

ˈdāv

plural -s

Zoroastrianism

: a maleficent supernatural being : an evil spirit : demon

Word History

Etymology

daeva, deva from Avestan daēvō; dev from Persian dēv, from Avestan daēvō; akin to Sanskrit deva god

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!