ˈmäˌnās, ˈmāˌnēz noun plural
Etymology: Latin; perhaps akin to Latin manus good — more at mature
1. often capitalized : the spirits of the dead and gods of the lower world in ancient Roman belief — compare lemures
2.
a. : ancestral spirits worshiped as gods
b. singular in construction : the spirit of a dead person regarded as an object to be venerated or appeased