The Devil's Dictionary

The Devil's Dictionary, by Ambrose Bierce, is a satirical book published in 1911. It offers reinterpretations of terms in the English language which lampoon cant and political double-talk.

The Devil's Dictionary in In High Places
The Devil's Dictionary was Jacob Klein's favorite book. He read and quoted from it often, so much so that his daughter, Annette, memorized many of its definitions.

When Annette was taken into slavery, she shared some of the book's wisdom with fellow slave Jacques. Jacques, a devout Christian, was leery of anything called The Devil's Wordbook (the closest transaltion Annette could manage), he soon saw that it was not literally a Satanic work, and appreciated the irony of the definitions Annette shared with him.