lares and penates

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lares and penates

/ˌlɛəɹiːz ənd pɪˈnɑːtiːz/ UK
/ˌlɛɹiz ənd pɪˈnɑtiz/ US

Where it comes from

A calque of Latin lares et penates. See lar and penates.

noun

Roman, plural, plural only The household deities of ancient Rome, respectively overseeing the family and its house and storerooms. The particular gods of the household were its lares and penates.
Similar: household deity
figuratively, plural, plural only One's prized possessions, considered as the protectors or symbols of one's household. I am returned to my own Lares and Penates—to my dogs and cats.

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MLA

"lares and penates." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/lares%20and%20penates. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

lares and penates. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/lares%20and%20penates

Chicago

"lares and penates." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/lares%20and%20penates.

BibTeX

@misc{lares_and_penates_2026,
  title = {lares and penates},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/lares%20and%20penates},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}