[Back-formation from pl. teraphim, from Hebrew tərāpîm, household gods, perhaps pl. of *terep, tarp-*tarp-, household god, perhaps of Anatolian origin and akin to Luwian tarpalli-, ritual substitute ("one stepping in another's place, thing taking another's place"), and tarpa-, to tread, step on; akin to Greek trapein, to tread grapes, and Lithuanian trepenti, to stamp.]