klepht
[kleft]
- a Greek or Albanian brigand, exalted in the war of Greek independence as a patriotic robber; guerrilla.
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Origin of klepht
1810–20; < Modern Greek kléphtēs, variant of Modern Greek, Greek kléptēs thief, rogue; see kleptomania
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for klepht
Historical Examples
They say Rhangos is going to join the Turks, as many other klepht leaders have done.
In Greek WatersG. A. Henty
Meantime, the services of the notorious Klepht Achilles have been engaged.
The Casual WardA. D. Godley
Whoever was not a klepht was the victim of some official extortioner.
He has taken the leadership of the coryphes, and now executes a dance which is called the "Klepht."
From the Oak to the OliveJulia Ward Howe
klepht
- any of the Greeks who fled to the mountains after the 15th-century Turkish conquest of Greece and whose descendants survived as brigands into the 19th century
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Word Origin
C19: from Modern Greek klephtēs, from Greek kleptēs thief
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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