Left a rupee for the household protector (3)

I believe the answer is:

lar

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'the household protector' is the definition.
The definition suggests a singular noun which matches the answer.

'left a rupee' is the wordplay.
'left' becomes 'l' (common abbreviation).
'rupee' becomes 'r'.
'l'+'a'+'r'='LAR'

'for' is the link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for lar that I've seen before include "statue of a god" , "Roman household god" , "Libya" , "What's supposed to protect the house" .)

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.