ˌägəˈpāˌtī, ˌagə-; ˌagəˈpēˌtē noun plural
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
: women of the early church who lived under a pledge of spiritual love in the same house with men bound to strict celibacy