Helot

[ hel-uht, hee-luht ]

/ ˈhɛl ət, ˈhi lət /

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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.

helot, a serf or slave; bondman.

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Origin of Helot

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

OTHER WORDS FROM Helot

hel·ot·age, noun

Words nearby Helot

Héloïse, heloma, heloma durum, heloma molle, helophyte, Helot, helotism, helotomy, helotry, help, helper

How to use Helot in a sentence

His cheeks bright red, his chin wet with spittle, the helot would weave and stagger and totter until he passed out in the dirt.
Persian Fire and Rubicon (Full)|David Frum|September 23, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Little by little, he had become to his wife so indulgent and so affectionate, that the poor helot felt her heart touched.
Other People's Money|Emile Gaboriau
It may actually have been the unfortunate fall to which the helot owed his death.
Atlantis|Gerhart Hauptmann
It would be, I expected, such a sight as that which the drunken Helot once presented to the virtuous Spartan youth.
The Chaplain of the Fleet|Walter Besant and James Rice

In the boat were Thorkeld, a helot of Iona, and two dark wild-eyed men of the north.
The Divine Adventure etc. (Works vol. 4)|Fiona Macleod
Thus sacrificing one class to the other, both were injured,—the imperious Spartan and the abased Helot.
Charles Sumner; His Complete Works, Volume III (of 20)|Charles Sumner

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