n. A demon appearing in the biblical book of Tobit, considered in the Talmud to be the king of demons and depicted in later Jewish tradition as a mischievous sprite. [Medieval Latin Asmodaeus, from Mishnaic Hebrew 'ašməday, from Avestan *Aēšma-daēuua-, demon of anger : aēšma-, anger, Aeshma (a Zoroastrian demon); see eis- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots + daēuua-, demon; see dyeu- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] |
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