Dictionary
Thesaurus
Reference
Translate
Web
Related Searches
on Ask.com
Nearby Entries

helots

- 2 dictionary results

Hel⋅ot

  [hel-uht, hee-luht]
Use helots in a Sentence
–noun
1. 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.
2. (lowercase) a serf or slave; bondman.
Origin:
1570–80; < L hēlōtēs (pl.) < Gk heílōtes

Related forms:
hel⋅ot⋅age, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To helots
hel·ot   (hěl'ət)   
n.  
  1. Helot One of a class of serfs in ancient Sparta, neither a slave nor a free citizen.
  2. A person in servitude; a serf.

[From Greek Heilōtes, pl. of Heilōs, Heilōt-.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see helots on Thesaurus | Reference