helotism

[ hel-uh-tiz-uhm, hee-luh- ]

noun
  1. the state or quality of being a helot; serfdom.

  2. Ecology. the subordinate organisms in an unequal symbiotic relationship.

Origin of helotism

1
First recorded in 1815–25; Helot + -ism

Words Nearby helotism

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How to use helotism in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for helotism

helotism

/ (ˈhɛləˌtɪzəm, ˈhiː-) /


noun
  1. the condition or quality of being a Helot

  2. a sociopolitical system in which a class, minority, nation, etc, is held in a state of subjection

  1. zoology another name for dulosis

  • Also called (for senses 1, 2): helotage

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