definitions

Helot

[ hel-uh t, hee-luh t ]
/ ˈhɛl ət, ˈhi lət /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR Helot ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a member of the lowest class in ancient Laconia, constituting a body of serfs who were bound to the land and were owned by the state.Compare Perioeci, Spartiate.
(lowercase) a serf or slave; bondman.

RELATED WORDS

serf, liege, slave, dependent, thrall, beneficiary, peasant, subordinate, varlet, tenant, subject, liegeman, bondman, esne

Origin of Helot

1570–80; < Latin hēlōtēs (plural) < Greek heílōtes

Related forms

hel·ot·age, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for helot

British Dictionary definitions for helot

Helot

/ (ˈhɛlət, ˈhiː-) /

noun

(in ancient Greece, esp Sparta) a member of the class of unfree men above slaves owned by the state
(usually not capital) a serf or slave

Word Origin for Helot

C16: from Latin Hēlotēs, from Greek Heilōtes, alleged to have meant originally: inhabitants of Helos, who, after its conquest, were serfs of the Spartans
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012