Lewis & Short

pĕcūlĭum, ii, n. [pecus], lit., property in cattle; hence, as in early times all property consisted of cattle, in gen., property.

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. In gen.: peculi sui prodigi (servi), Plaut. Most. 4, 1, 19: cupiditas peculii, Cic. Par. 5, 2 fin.: cura peculi, Verg. E. 1, 33 Serv.; Hor. A. P. 330.
    2. B. In partic., private property.
      1. 1. What the master of the house saves and lays by, money laid by, savings, Dig. 32, 1, 77.
      2. 2. What a wife owns as her independent property, and over which her husband has no control, a private purse, paraphernalia, Dig. 23, 3, 9, § 3.
      3. 3. That which is given by a father or master to his son, daughter, or slave, as his or her private property: frugi sum, nec potest peculium enumerari, Plaut. As. 2, 4, 91: adimere servis peculium, Varr. R. R. 1, 2, 17; 1, 17, 5: filii, Liv. 2, 41; cf. Sen. Ep. 11, 1: Juliam uxorem peculio concesso a patre praebitisque annuis, fraudavit, Suet. Tib. 50: cultis augere peculia servis, fees, Juv. 3, 189.
      4. 4. Castrense, the private property of a son acquired by military service, with the consent of his father (profecticium), or by inheritance through his mother (adventicium); then called quasi castrense, Dig. 49, 17, 5 sqq.; Paul. Sent. 3, 4; cf. Dig. 37, 6, 1.
      5. 5. = membrum virile, Plaut. Ps. 4, 7, 92; id. Most. 1, 3, 96; Petr. S. 8; Lampr. Elag. 9; cf. peculiatus.
  2. II. Trop., that which belongs to one’s self, one’s own.
    Of a letter: sine ullo ad me peculio veniet? without any thing for myself, Sen. Ep. 12, 9.
    Of the people of lsrael: erunt mihi, in die quā ego facio, in peculium, Vulg. Mal. 3, 17.