Devo

//ˈdɛvoʊ// adj, noun, slang

adj, noun, slang ·Moderate ·College level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Clipping of devolution (“transfer of some powers and the delegation of some functions from a central government to local government”). UK, abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, informal

    "Sheffield’s devo deal, signed in December, focuses on skill and jobs but also includes new powers for the authority over housing and support for business. There is no mayor, but new ‘Oyster-style’ travelcards are promised. [image caption]"

  2. 2
    A devotion; a devotional; a piece of religious text used for devotion, or the time spent on reading and reflecting on such text. informal

    "The 246 daily devos help you dive deep for treasure to keep. Every devo starts with a fun saying that will help you learn and remember the meaning of one small slice of the Bible."

Adjective
  1. 1
    Devastated. Australia, Ireland, slang

Example

More examples

"Sheffield’s devo deal, signed in December, focuses on skill and jobs but also includes new powers for the authority over housing and support for business. There is no mayor, but new ‘Oyster-style’ travelcards are promised. [image caption]"

Etymology

Etymology 1

From dev(astated) + -o.

Etymology 2

Clipping of devolution.

Etymology 3

Clipping of devotion or devotional.

Related phrases

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.