angel

plural angels · alternative Angel · alternative obsolete angell

1. chiefly AbrahamismAn incorporeal and holy or semidivine messenger from a deity or other divine entity, traditionally depicted as a youthful, winged figure in flowing robes.

   The dear good angel of the Spring, / The nightingale.

   1641, Ben Jonson, The Sad Shepherd

   1 more example

   There seemed to be girls sitting on top of them, or maybe they were meant to be angels. Angels are usually represented as wearing more than that, though.

   1982, Douglas Adams, Life, the Universe and Everything, page 50

   1. chiefly AbrahamismChristianityOne of the lowest order of such beings, below virtues.
2. A person having qualities traditionally attributed to angels.
   1. figurativelySomeone who is pure or innocent.

      Michael Brown, 18, due to be buried on Monday, was no angel, with public records and interviews with friends and family revealing both problems and promise in his young life.

      2014 August 25, John Eligon, “Michael Brown Spent Last Weeks Grappling With Problems and Promise”, in The New York Times, →ISSN

   2. figurativelySomeone who is kind or selfless.

      Thanks for making me breakfast in bed, you little angel.

   3. figurativelySomeone, especially a woman or child, having youthful, wholesome, or radiant beauty.
3. obsoleteAttendant spirit; genius; demon.

   Diſpaire thy Charme, / And let the Angell whom thou ſtill haſt ſeru’d / Tell thee, Macduffe was from his Mothers womb / Vntimely ript.

   c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene viii], page 151, column 1, lines 13–14

4. obsoletepossiblyAn official (a bishop, or sometimes a minister) who heads a Christian church, especially a Catholic Apostolic Church.

   […] the head of that Church, in whose place I stand in my Church, and in whose place no other standeth (the elders and deacons have their place, but this belongeth to the angel or minister of the Church), and the Lord commendeth him for trying […]

   1832, Edward Irving, speech before the Presbytery of London, quoted in 1862, Margaret Oliphant, The Life of Edward Irving, Minister of the National Scotch Church, London: Illustrated by His Journals and Correspondence, page 429

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   An apostle, or angel, or bishop, as he is now called, resided with a college of presbyters about him, in every considerable city of the Roman empire; to that angel or bishop, was committed the pastoral care of all the Christian in the city and its suburbs, extending as far on all sides as the jurisdiction of the civil magistrate extended;

   1817, Thomas Stackhouse, A history of the holy Bible, corrected and improved by G. Gleig, page 504

   The second or highest grade consists of the Angels or Bishops of Churches. Each Church has its Angel, who has (1) the higher supervision and care of all the flock, (2) the supervision and care of the Priests under him, and (3) the care of the Church itself.

   1878, Edward Miller, The History and Doctrines of Irvingism Or of the So-called Catholic and Apostolic Church, § 9 Pastors, page 50 (discussing the structure of the early Christian church and of the Catholic Apostolic Church)

5. historicalAn English gold coin, bearing the figure of the archangel Michael, circulated between the 15th and 17th centuries, and varying in value from six shillings and eightpence to ten shillings.

   Synonyms: angel-noble

6. slanggovernmentAn altitude, measured in thousands of feet.

   Climb to angels sixty.

   ascend to 60,000 feet

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   And even now part of me flies over Dresden at angels one five; / Though they’ll never fathom it, behind my sarcasm desperate memories lie.

   1983 March 21, Roger Waters, “The Hero's Return”, in The Final Cut, performed by Pink Floyd

7. colloquialdatedAn unidentified flying object detected by air traffic control radar.
8. someone that funds
   1. businessAn angel investor.

      “Latent” angels are defined as those who have not invested capital in the past 12 months, although they likely have invested knowledge in the process of reviewing potential investments.

      2011, OECD, Financing High-Growth Firms: The Role of Angel Investors

   2. entertainmentThe person who funds a show.

      Synonyms: backer

present singular third person angels · US participle present angeling · UK participle present angelling · US participle past angeled · US past angeled · UK participle past angelled · UK past angelled · alternative Angel · alternative obsolete angell

1. slangtransitiveentertainmentTo support by donating money.

   Six years ago, he lost $20,000 in the first show he angelled, a turkey called Dance Night.

   1944, Maurice Zolotow, Never Whistle in a Dressing Room; Or, Breakfast in Bedlam, page 59

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   You've got to come to Chicago to meet Duell, and see Wilson, who's going to angel the show.

   1984, “American Magazine”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name), volume 118, page 88

plural angels

1. informalA person who has Angelman syndrome; often capitalized.

plural Angels · alternative Angell

1. Alternative letter-case form of angel.

   When men are impatient with children, it is extremely displeasing to the Angels;

   1858, Frederick William Faber, Ethel's Book; or, Tales of the Angels, page 59

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   But alas, we were directed to climb over the ship to Angels 12 to provide protection to the ship.

   2011, James A. Oleson, In Their Own Words - the Final Chapter, page 93

2. ball gamesA player on the team the "Los Angeles Angels" or one of its predecessor "Angels" teams.

   Smith became an Angel as a result of a pre-season trade.

plural Angels · alternative Angell

1. A unisex given name
   1. A male given name

      "What is your first name, Mr Botibol? What does the A stand for?" "Angel," he answered. "Not Angel." "Yes," he said irritably. "Angel Botibol," she murmured and she began to giggle. But she checked herself and said, "I think it's a most unusual and distinguished name."

      1973, Roald Dahl, More Tales of the Unexpected: Mr Botibol

   2. A male given name, variant of Angelo
   3. A male given name from Latin Angelus [in turn from Ancient Greek], used since 16th century
   4. A male given name from Spanish Ángel, as an anglicization
   5. A female given name, variant of Angela
   6. A female given name from English, of modern usage, from the English noun angel.
2. A surname

   At last when nothing else would do he went off to France upon the business of the firm, but we went, mother and I, with Mr. Hardy, who used to be our foreman, and it was there I met Mr. Hosmer Angel.

   1891 [September], A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Adventure III.—A Case of Identity.”, in Geo[rge] Newnes, editor, The Strand Magazine: An Illustrated Monthly, volume II (July to December), number [9], London: […], page 250, column 2

   1. A surname transferred from the nickname originating as a nickname
   2. A surname originating as a patronymic
   3. A surname transferred from the given name