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The Devil's Dictionary

satirical wordbook by Ambrose Bierce
VisualArtwork literary_work Q1147121
The Devil's Dictionary
Ambrose Bierce · Public Domain · Wikimedia
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The Devil's Dictionary

Summary

The Devil's Dictionary is a literary work[1]. It ranks in the top 3% of literary_work entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (418 views/month).[2]

Key Facts

  • The Devil's Dictionary authored Ambrose Bierce[3].
  • The Devil's Dictionary's instance of is recorded as literary work[4].
  • The Devil's Dictionary was published by Neale Publishing Company[5].
  • The Devil's Dictionary's genre is satire[6].
  • The Devil's Dictionary's based on is recorded as The Cynic's Word Book[7].
  • The Devil's Dictionary's language of work or name is recorded as English[8].
  • January 1, 1881 marks the founding of The Devil's Dictionary[9].
  • The Devil's Dictionary was released on 1912[10].
  • The Devil's Dictionary's has edition or translation is recorded as The Devil's Dictionary[11].
  • The Devil's Dictionary's has edition or translation is recorded as The Devil's Dictionary[12].
  • The Devil's Dictionary's title is recorded as {'lang': 'en', 'text': "The Devil's Dictionary"}[13].
  • The Devil's Dictionary's first line is recorded as {'lang': 'en', 'text': 'A. The first letter in every properly constructed alphabet. It is the first natural utterance of the human vocal organs, and is variously sounded, according to the pleasure and convenience of the speaker. In logic, An asserts and B denies. Assertions being proverbially untrue, the presumption would be in favor of B’s innocence were it not that denials are notoriously false.'}[14].
  • The Devil's Dictionary's last line is recorded as {'lang': 'en', 'text': 'ZOOLOGY, n. The science and history of the animal kingdom, including its king, the House Fly (Musca maledicta). […] Two of the science’s most illustrious expounders were Buffon and Oliver Goldsmith, from both of whom we learn (L’Histoire générale des animaux and A History of Animated Nature) that the domestic cow sheds its horn every two years.'}[15].
  • The Devil's Dictionary's copyright status is recorded as public domain[16].
  • The Devil's Dictionary's copyright status is recorded as public domain[17].

Body

Authorship and Creation

The Devil's Dictionary authored Ambrose Bierce[3]. It was published by Neale Publishing Company[5].

Publication

The Devil's Dictionary was released on 1912[10]. Its language of work or name is recorded as English[8]. Its genre is satire[6].

Why It Matters

The Devil's Dictionary ranks in the top 3% of literary_work entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (418 views/month).[2] It has Wikipedia articles in 16 language editions, a strong signal of global cultural recognition.[18] It is known by 27 alternative names across languages and contexts.[19]

Related Entities

Ambrose Bierce literary work public domain

References

Programmatic citations — every numbered marker resolves to a verifiable graph row below.

Direct Wikidata claims

  1. [4] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  2. [3] ↑ . Internet Speculative Fiction Database. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  3. [5] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  4. [6] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  5. [7] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  6. [8] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  7. [9] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  8. [10] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  9. [11] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  10. [12] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  11. [13] ↑ . Internet Speculative Fiction Database. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  12. [14] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  13. [15] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  14. [16] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  15. [17] ↑ . wikidata.org.

Class ancestry

  1. [1] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org.

Aggregate / graph-position facts

  1. [2] ↑ . Wikimedia Foundation. dumps.wikimedia.org.
  2. [18] ↑ . Wikidata sitelinks. wikidata.org.
  3. [19] ↑ . Wikidata aliases. wikidata.org.

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APA 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph. (2026). The Devil's Dictionary. Retrieved May 3, 2026, from https://4ort.xyz/entity/the-devil-s-dictionary
MLA “The Devil's Dictionary.” 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph, 4ort.xyz, 3 May. 2026, https://4ort.xyz/entity/the-devil-s-dictionary.
BibTeX @misc{4ortxyz_the-devil-s-dictionary_2026, author = {{4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph}}, title = {{The Devil's Dictionary}}, year = {2026}, url = {https://4ort.xyz/entity/the-devil-s-dictionary}, note = {Accessed: 2026-05-03}}
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Edit History

Rolling log of changes to this entity's Wikidata record. Values shown reflect the current state of each edited property — follow the history link to see the precise diff for any edit.

  1. 8d ago · Filesdotcomgigs · 2026-08-26 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Work available at url → https://eto.box/book/ad412fc9611f3c7cc0a480a6f7d776a4
    "/* wbcreateclaim-create:1| */ [[Property:P953]]: https://eto.box/book/ad412fc9611f3c7cc0a480a6f7d776a4, Add full-text availability link (P953) to a public-domain work"
  2. 17w ago · KaleemBot bot · 2026-05-04 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Based on → The Cynic's Word Book
    Aliases → —
    Inception → +1881-01-01T00:00:00Z
    Genre → satire
    + 12 other properties edited (see Wikidata diff for full list)
    "/* wbeditentity-update:0| */ Added [[wikipedia:ur:دی ڈیولز ڈکشنری]]"
Live feed via Wikidata EventStreams. New edits appear within minutes of being made on Wikidata.