daeva

1 of 3

noun (1)

dae·​va
variants or deva
ˈdāvə
or dev
ˈdāv
plural -s
Zoroastrianism
: a maleficent supernatural being : an evil spirit : demon

deva

2 of 3

noun (2)

de·​va
ˈdāvə
variants or dev
ˈdev
plural -s
: a divine being or god in Hinduism and Buddhism

deva

3 of 3

variant spelling of daeva

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

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

Noun (2)

Sanskrit deva

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Cite this Entry

“Daeva.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/daeva. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.

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