Word: angel Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Two Baroque angels from southern Germany, from the mid-18th century From Middle English aungel, angel, from Old English anġel, either a modification of enġel after its etymon Latin angelus (through the intermediate of Proto-West Germanic *angil) or a reborrowing from the Latin, which is in turn from Ancient Greek ἄγγελος (ángelos, “messenger”); later reinforced by Anglo-Norman angele, angel, from the same Latin source. The religious sense of the Greek word first appeared in the Septuagint as a translation of the Hebrew word מַלְאָךְ (malʾāḵ, “messenger”) or מַלְאַךְ יהוה (malʾāḵ YHWH, “messenger of YHWH”). Doublet of Angelus. Use of the term in some churches to refer to a church official derives from interpreting the "angels" of the Seven churches of Asia in Revelation as being bishops or ministers rather than angelic beings. Pronunciation: /ˈeɪ̯n.d͡ʒəl/, [ˈeɪ̯n.d͡ʒəl] ~ [ˈeɪ̯n.d͡ʒl̩], /ˈæɪ̯n.d͡ʒəl/, [ˈæ̝ɪ̯n.d͡ʒəl] ~ [ˈæ̝ɪ̯n.d͡ʒl̩], /ˈeɪn.d͡ʒɛl/ 1. An incorporeal and holy or semidivine messenger from a deity or other divine entity, traditionally depicted as a youthful, winged figure in flowing robes. Example: The dear good angel of the Spring, / The nightingale. 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. 2. An incorporeal and holy or semidivine messenger from a deity or other divine entity, traditionally depicted as a youthful, winged figure in flowing robes. 3. A person having qualities traditionally attributed to angels. Labels: figuratively Example: 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. 4. A person having qualities traditionally attributed to angels. Labels: figuratively Example: Thanks for making me breakfast in bed, you little angel. 5. A person having qualities traditionally attributed to angels. Labels: figuratively 6. Attendant spirit; genius; demon. Labels: obsolete Example: Diſpaire thy Charme, / And let the Angell whom thou ſtill haſt ſeru’d / Tell thee, Macduffe was from his Mothers womb / Vntimely ript. 7. An official (a bishop, or sometimes a minister) who heads a Christian church, especially a Catholic Apostolic Church. Labels: obsolete, possibly Example: 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; Example: […] 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 […] 8. An 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. Labels: historical 9. An altitude, measured in thousands of feet. Labels: slang Example: Climb to angels sixty. Example: 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. 10. An unidentified flying object detected by air traffic control radar. Labels: colloquial, dated 11. someone that funds Example: “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. 12. someone that funds