an angel passes

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word an angel passes. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word an angel passes, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say an angel passes in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word an angel passes you have here. The definition of the word an angel passes will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofan angel passes, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.

English

Alternative forms

Phrase

an angel passes

  1. Used to denote an awkward pause.
    • 1936, Agatha Christie, Cards on the Table, →ISBN, page 17:
      There was a momentary silence. Mrs. Oliver said: "Is it twenty-to or twenty past? An angel passing . . . My feet aren't crossed—it must be a black angel!"
    • 1984, William Gibson, Neuromancer (Sprawl; book 1), New York, N.Y.: Ace Books, →ISBN, page 4:
      As Case was picking up his beer, one of those strange instants of silence descended, as though a hundred unrelated conversations had simultaneously arrived at the same pause. [] Ratz grunted. “An angel passed.”

Usage notes

  • This phrase is not particularly common in English. Its origins possibly lie in Plutarch, referencing the passage of Hermes.

Translations