Forms: 2 archangel, 4–5 -ell(e, 3 arc-, 5–6 ark-awngell, -angel. [a. OF. archangel, -ele, -le, or perh. ad. L. archangel-us, a. Gr. ἀρχάγγελος (see ARCH- and ANGEL.): the OE. translation héah-ęngel survived to 1200. On account of the following a, the prefix in this word remained hard (arc-, ark-) in all the Rom. langs.: Gothic had arkaggilus; in Eng., early spellings occur with arc-, ark-. No satisfactory explanation known of the transferred senses.]
1. An angel of the highest rank. Also fig.
[a. 1000. Ælfric, Gl. (Wr.), 41/2. Archangelus heah encgel. Blickl. Hom. 147. Micahel se heahengel.
c. 1200. Ormin, 13512. Hehenngell Gabriæl.]
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 41. Mihhal þe archangel.
c. 1230. Juliana, 48. Englene ifere ant arcanglene freond.
c. 1320. Cast. Love (Halliw.), 1575. Ne non so bryȝht archangelle.
c. 1440. Gesta Rom., I. xliii. 143. To whom Gode sent the archangell Gabrielle.
1528. Perkins, Profit. Bk., ix. § 601. The feast of S. Michael the Ark-angell.
1794. Southey, Botany Bay Ecl., iv. Wks. II. 88. The Archangel’s trump at the last hour.
1853. Kingsley, Hypatia, vi. (1879), 71. Fanatical archangel that she [Hypatia] is.
2. Herb. Herbalists’ name: a. of several species of Dead Nettle and allied plants (Lamium, Galeopsis, Galeobdolon, Stachys); b. formerly of the Black Stinking Horehound (Ballota nigra).
[c. 1000. Ælfric, Gloss., Archangelica, blindnetle.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., Deffe nettylle, Archangelus.]
1551. Turner, Herbal, II. 7. The iuice of rede archangell scatter[s] away … cancres.
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, 257. Called … in English blacke Horehounde … and of some blacke Archangell.
1607. Topsell, Four-f. Beasts, 145. Against the bitings of dogs … the leaves of black horehound, or archangel.
1657. S. Purchas, Pol. Flying Ins., I. xv. 94. Archangel, both with the white and yellow flowers.
1727. Bradley, Fam. Dict., s.v. Bee, Rub the Place with … Wormwood, Archangel, or other noisome Herbs.
1882. Cornh. Mag., Jan., 32. Our English archangels and a few others are yellow.
† 3. ? A titmouse. (Cf. F. mesange.) Obs.
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 915. With fynche, with lark, and with archaungelle.
4. A kind of fancy pigeon.
1867. Tegetmeyer, Pigeons, xx. 168. Archangels are prolific.
