In Roman religion, the plural of ancile; the sacred shields kept in Mars's temple and carried in processions.
Latin plural of 'ancile,' referring to the legendary shields of Mars. In Roman belief, the first shield fell from heaven and was guarded jealously.
The Romans created an entire priestly college (the Salii, or 'leaping priests') just to care for and dance with these shields each March. Talk about job security through religious spectacle!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.