: spirits of the unburied dead exorcised from homes in early Roman religious rites

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin lemurēs, plural, "malevolent spirits of the dead," probably of non-Indo-European origin

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lemures was in 1555

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Cite this Entry

“Lemures.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lemures. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.

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