klepht

[ kleft ]

noun
  1. a Greek or Albanian brigand, exalted in the war of Greek independence as a patriotic robber; guerrilla.

Origin of klepht

1
1810–20; <Modern Greek kléphtēs, variant of Modern Greek, Greek kléptēs thief, rogue; see kleptomania

Other words from klepht

  • klephtic, adjective

Words Nearby klepht

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use klepht in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for klepht

klepht

/ (klɛft) /


noun
  1. 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

Origin of klepht

1
C19: from Modern Greek klephtēs, from Greek kleptēs thief

Derived forms of klepht

  • klephtic, adjective

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