: an attendant usually benevolent spirit or guardian—often used without implication of belief in its supernatural character
"A putting angel must have come to me during the night because I felt great today and every putt I hit was a great putt," he [Paul McGinley] said. Nelson Clare
(2)
: the part of a person's character or nature that is said to guide the person's thoughts and behavior
… here was [Lyndon] Johnson charging straight at a problem, telling his fellow citizens an ugly truth about themselves while trying to invoke the better angels of their nature. Kevin Baker
[Lamar] Alexander concluded: "In his first inaugural address, Abraham Lincoln appealed to the better angels of our nature. If there are better angels of our nature, I guess that means there must be worse angels in us as well. …"Congressional Documents and Publications
2
: a usually white-robed winged figure of human form in fine art see also snow angel
The dear good angel of the Spring, / The nightingale. Ben Jonson
4
: a person who is like an angel (as in looks or behavior)
Your toddler is such an angel.
Be an angel and get me a cup of tea, would you?
Childs is no angel either, and that gives his book its drama. George Johnson
5
Christian Science: inspiration from God
6
: one who aids or supports with money or influence
Angels are considered one of the oldest sources of capital for start-up entrepreneurs; the term itself, by most accounts, comes from the affluent patrons who used to finance Broadway plays in the early twentieth century. Colleen Debaise
Typically, angel investors put up anywhere from $10,000 to $50,000 to back a young start-up, and can fund as many as 10 companies at any given time. Michael B. Farrell
Recent Examples on the WebMac Miller's Mother Miller's mother, Karen Meyers, posted this sweet mother-son photo one month after his death and captioned it with an angel emoji. Diane J. Cho, Peoplemag, 7 Sep. 2022 Yet, despite the roll bar blocking access to the back, there were four personalities along for the ride: Gilles, me, and the angel/devil battle taking place on my shoulders. Elana Scherr, Car and Driver, 5 Sep. 2022 Logan Bushman, who graduated from BYU in the spring as an openly gay student, pulled together the angel costumes. Courtney Tanner, The Salt Lake Tribune, 4 Sep. 2022 That’s more than double the size of other accelerator programs, and more than the standard angel investment for most pre-seed startups.WIRED, 4 Sep. 2022 The label on the Gonzales' wine features the name in script writing connecting to an angel wing, another homage to Linda. Richard Morin, USA TODAY, 3 Sep. 2022 That birthmark on his forehead always seemed to be some symbol of mystical significance, as if an angel had bopped him in the womb. Thomas Geoghegan, The New Republic, 31 Aug. 2022 Especially hard to swallow is the seemingly overnight transformation of the musical’s heavy, Mister — wonderfully sung by Torrey Linder — from abusive monster to reformed angel. Peter Marks, Washington Post, 25 Aug. 2022 Snoop Dogg, the rapper/actor/cannabis entrepreneur/crypto enthusiast/angel investor and so much more, is launching his own breakfast cereal, dubbed Snoop Loopz. Chris Morris, Fortune, 16 Aug. 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Old English engel & Anglo-French angele; both from Late Latin angelus, from Greek angelos, literally, messenger
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Time Traveler
The first known use of angel was before the 12th century