household gods
Preserved but no longer current.
The Lares and Penates (tf.v.), who presided over the dwellings and domestic concerns of the ancient Romans; hence, in modern use, the valued possessions of home, all those things that go to endear it to one.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “household gods” mean?
The Lares and Penates (tf.v.), who presided over the dwellings and domestic concerns of the ancient Romans; hence, in modern use, the valued possessions of home, all those things that go to endear it to one.
Is “household gods” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.