Also 5–6 armille, -ylle, 7–8 -ill. [partly a. OF. armille:—L. armilla; partly a more recent adaptation of armilla.]
1. A bracelet; = ARMILLA 1.
1480. Caxton, Ovid’s Met., XIV. xiv. The Armilles hangyng on their lyfte sides. Ibid. (1483), Gold. Leg., 68/4. The dyademe fro his heed and the armylle fro hys arme.
2. One of the insignia of royalty, put on at the coronation. Cf. ARMILLA 2.
1485. Coron. Hen. VII., in Rutl. Papers, 18. The king … shall take armyll of the Cardinall … and it is to wete that armyll is made in maner of a stole wovyn with gold and set with stones.
1761. Brit. Mag., II. 503. His majesty was then invested with the armill, the purple robe or imperial pall, and orb.
1847. Maskell, Mon. Rit., III. 28.
1849. Rock, Ch. of Fathers, I. v. 436. The armil, or bracelet, was looked upon by the Anglo-Saxons as one among the badges of royalty.
3. = ARMILLA 4.
1837. Whewell, Hist. Induct. Sc., I. III. iv. § 3. Eratosthenes is said to have obtained, from the munificence of Ptolemy Euergetes, two Armils or instruments compounded of circles, which were placed in the portico at Alexandria.
1876. Mrs. Whitney, Sights & Ins., II. xiv. 441. A marble gnomon and two bronze armils … for noting the lines of light.
† 4. Armil Sphere = Armillary Sphere. Obs.
1556. Recorde, Cast. Knowl., 54. Rather … an Armylle or Ringe sphere, then absolutely a sphere.
1611. Guillim, Heraldry, III. ii. 85. Whether … a Solide or Armill sphere.
