agapetae
plural noun
aga·pe·tae
ˌä-gə-ˈpā-ˌtī,
ˌa-gə-;
ˌa-gə-ˈpē-ˌtē
: women of the early church who lived under a vow of chastity in the same house with men bound to strict celibacy
Word History
Etymology
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
First Known Use
circa 1823, in the meaning defined above