angel
/ˈeɪndʒəl/noun
1
- a spiritual being believed to act as an attendant, agent, or messenger of God, conventionally represented in human form with wings and a long robe（传统上为穿长袍有翅膀的人形）天使, 上帝的使者：
God sent an angel to talk to Gideon
上帝派了一个使者来和基甸谈话
the Angel of Death
死神
figurative 〈喻〉Ella, ever the angel of mercy, organized the girls into baking biscuits.
埃拉永远是富有同情心的天使, 组织女孩们烘饼干。
1.1
- an attendant spirit, especially a benevolent one（尤指仁慈的）精灵, 保护神：
there was an angel watching over me.
有精灵在保护着我。参见 GUARDIAN ANGEL.
1.2
- informal a financial backer of an enterprise, typically in the theatre〈非正式〉（主要指戏剧表演的）赞助人。
1.3
- (in traditional Christian angelology) a being of the lowest order of the ninefold celestial hierarchy（传统基督教天使学用语）第九级天使。
1.5
- informal an unexplained radar echo〈非正式〉仙波, 雷达回响。
2
- a person of exemplary conduct or virtue纯洁善良的人, 天使：
women were then seen as angels or whores
那时, 妇女要么被看成天使, 要么被视为娼妓
I know I'm no angel.
我知道我不是什么天使。
2.1
- used in similes or comparisons to refer to a person's outstanding beauty, qualities, or abilities［用于比喻或比较, 指人的美貌、品质或能力出众］天使般的人：
you sang like an angel.
你唱得像天使。
2.2
- used in approval when a person has been or is expected to be kind or willing to oblige用于表示对行善的人或期待他行善的人的赞评大好人：
be an angel and let us come in.
行行好, 让我们进来。
2.3
- used as a term of endearment表示爱称天使：
I miss you too, angel.
我也想你, 小天使。
3
- a former English coin minted between the reigns of Edward Ⅳ and Charles Ⅰ and bearing the figure of the archangel Michael killing a dragon天使货币（前英国货币, 铸造于爱德华四世和查理斯一世在位期间, 上有天使长米迦勒杀龙的图案）。
4
angels
aviation slang an aircraft's altitude (often used with a numeral indicating thousands of feet)〈航空俚〉飞行高度（常和数字连用表示几千英尺）：we rendezvous at angels nine.
我们在9,000英尺高度会合。
短语
the angel in the house
- chiefly ironic a woman who is completely devoted to her husband and family〈主讽〉家里的天使（指全身心献身于丈夫和家庭的女子）。
- ORIGIN: phrase from a poem by Coventry Patmore.
on the side of the angels
- on the side of what is right在正确的一方：
we're not in the business of polluting the environment, we're on the side of the angels.
我们没有干污染环境的事, 我们做的是对的。
词源
Old English engel, ultimately via ecclesiastical Latin from Greek angelos 'messenger'; superseded in Middle English by forms from Old French angele.