diablerie

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   sorcery, witchcraft, or supposed dealings with devils

   The villagers blamed the unexplained disturbances on diablerie.

2. 2
   noun

   devilish conduct, mischief, or imagery

   The grotesque masks gave the stage design an air of theatrical diablerie.

Borrowed from French diablerie ('devilry, witchcraft'), from diable ('devil') plus the noun-forming suffix -erie. It is a doublet in sense of devilry and often carries a literary or theatrical suggestion of demonic mischief.

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