Crossword Genius

Old Nick had life back (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

devil

'old nick' is the definition.
(synonyms)

'had life back' is the wordplay.
'had life' becomes 'lived' ('live' can be a synonym of 'have life').
'back' says the letters should be written backwards.
'lived' in reverse letter order is 'DEVIL'.

(Other definitions for devil that I've seen before include "Archfiend" , "Wicked spirit" , "Lived with Satan" , "Evil supernatural being" , "Fiend" .)

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.
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