Lares

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of domestic spirit in ancient Roman belief often associated with the protection of the household and family
2. A minor deity in Roman mythology who safeguards the home and its inhabitants
3. Entities considered guardians of sacred places, symbolizing prosperity and familial welfare in Roman culture

Etymology: The Lares were the household guardian spirits of ancient Rome, and the English word is simply the Latin plural taken over unchanged. Its singular, "lar," was the name for one such spirit, so "lares" is the form that refers to the whole group, as in the phrase "lares and penates," the paired household gods that watched over a family's home and stores. Romans kept small shrines to the Lares in the atrium or kitchen, where offerings of food, wine and incense were made, and the spirits were understood as protectors of the family's land and hearth. Because the word is borrowed directly in its plural form, English speakers who use it are reproducing a Latin grammatical pattern, one in which the plural ending marks a plurality of spirits rather than a separate meaning.