Old English Belzebub, ultimately from Hebrew bá`al zebūb, literally: lord of flies
Beelzebub in American English
(biˈɛlzəˌbʌb)
noun
1. Bible
the chief devil; Satan
: also Beˈelzeˌbul (biˈɛlzəˌbʊl)
2.
in Milton's Paradise Lost, Satan's chief lieutenant among the fallen angels
Word origin
LL(Ec) < Gr(Ec) Beelzeboub < Heb baal-zevuv, lit., god of flies < baal (see Baal) + zevuv, a fly: prob. deliberate pejorative alteration < Baʼal zebul; cf. Ugaritic zbl bʿl ʾrs, the exalted one, the lord of the earth