[f. ARCHI- + L. magus, It. mago, F. mage (ad. Gr. Μάγος Magian), magician, enchanter. Formerly also in L. form archimagus and quasi-It. archimago.] A chief magician or enchanter, a great wizard. (Used by Spenser in the Faëry Queene as the name of his personification of hypocrisy).
1553–87. Foxe, A. & M. (1596), 88/2. The archimagus espieng his time, compleineth unto the king.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., II. i. Argt. Guyon, by Archimage abusd, The Redcrosse knight awaytes. Ibid., 21. So had false Archimago her disguysd.
1678. Cudworth, Intell. Syst., 267. An archimago or grand magician.
1801. W. Taylor, in Robberds, Mem., I. 383. Shall we not see the Mackintoshes archimages of Hindostan?
1817. Scott, Rob Roy (1855), 91. Dismiss from your company the false archimage, Dissimulation.
