ἀγκάλη [ᾰ], ἡ,
I
1. bent arm, mostly in pl., ἐν ἀγκάλαις A. Ag. 723, Supp. 481, E. Alc. 351, al.; prov., ἐν ταῖς ἀ. περιΦέρειν τινά X. Cyr. 7.5.50; without ἐν, ἀγκάλαις ἔχειν, περιΦέρειν, E. IT 289, Or. 464; ἐπ’ ἀγκάλαις λαβεῖν Id. Ion 761, cf. IT 1250; ἐς ἀ. Ion 1598; πρὸς ἀγκάλαις πεσεῖν ib. 962; ὑπ’ ἀγκάλαις σταθείς Id. Andr. 747: rarely in sg., Corinn. 19 (s.v.l.); Φέρειν ἐν τῇ ἀ. Hdt. 6.61, cf. X.l.c., Timocl. 7.4.
2. bend of knee, Cael.Aur. TP 5.1.2.
II metaph., anything closely enfolding, κυμάτων ἐν ἀγκάλαις Archil. 23; πετραία ἀ. A. Pr. 1019; πόντιαι ἀ. Id. Ch. 587, cf. E. Or. 1378; πελαγίοις ἐν ἀ. Nausicr. 1.3; of the air, γῆν..ἔχονθ’ ὑγραῖς ἐν ἀ. E. Fr. 941.
III bundle, sheaf, BGU 1180 (i B. C.), PLond. 1.131r396 (i A. D.), POxy. 935.19 (iii A. D.).
G43 — ἀγκάλη
(ης, ἡ (ἀγκη, ἀγκάς (from the root ak to bend, curve, cf. Latinuncus,angulus, English angle, etc.; cf. Curtius, § 1; Vanicek, p. 2f)), the curve or inner angle of the arm: δέξασθαι εἰς τάς ἀγκάλας, [Luk 2:28]. The Greeks also said ἀγκάς λαβεῖν ἐν ἀγκάλαις περιφέρειν, etc., see ἐναγκαλίζομαι. ((From Aeschylus and Herodotus down.))