Angelique

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Definitions

1. Characterizing a variety of fragrant flower, often used in perfumery and cuisine
2. Referring to a style that evokes the qualities of angels, typically associated with beauty or sweetness
3. Denoting something that embodies ethereal and delicate aspects related to celestial beings

Etymology: "Angelique" arrived in English from French "angélique," which in turn comes from Latin "angelicus," meaning "of angels." The English word is a doublet of "angelic," meaning the two came into English by separate routes from the same Latin source, so they share a root but reached the language at different times and took on different roles. Both mean "like an angel," and "angelique" has the more French-flavoured look of the pair. The same French-Latin root also gave English a second, unrelated sense. A "plucked bowl lute" called the angelique was a musical instrument, a kind of lute with a rounded body, and the name is the same word applied to that instrument. Readers meeting the word in old music writing will often find it in that sense rather than the sense of "angelic."

Synonyms: angelic, divine, celestial

Antonyms: demonic, devilish