agapetae

plural noun aga·pe·tae \ ˌä-gə-ˈpā-ˌtī , ˌa-gə- ; ˌa-gə-ˈpē-ˌtē \

Definition of agapetae

: women of the early church who lived under a vow of chastity in the same house with men bound to strict celibacy

There's more!

Love words? You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
Advanced search features
Ad free!

Origin and Etymology of agapetae

Late Latin, from Late Greek agapētai, plural of agapētē, from Greek, feminine of agapētos beloved, desirable, to be acquiesced in, from agapan to welcome, love

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1823

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year