Old Nick

n.
The Devil; Satan. See Regional Note at Old Scratch.

This humorous nickname for the Devil is first recorded in the 17th century. Its origins are uncertain, but it may be related to certain German and Scandinavian words beginning in nik-, used for various dangerous supernatural creatures.

A well-known British nickname for the devil, comparable with the American "Mr. Splitfoot " or "Old Scratch." It seems probable that this name is derived from the Dutch nikken, the devil, which again comes from the Anglo-Saxon noec-an, to slay, deriving from the theological view that the devil was "a murderer from the beginning."

In northern countries there is a river spirit named "Neck," "Nikke," or "Nokke," of the same nature as the water kelpie and the merman or triton.

Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: (Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell
  Synonyms: Satan, Shaytan, Devil, the Devil, Lucifer, Beelzebub, the Tempter, Prince of Darkness

---

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

old nick