helot

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hel·ot

 (hĕl′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-.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Helot

(ˈhɛlət; ˈhiː-)
n
1. (Historical Terms) (in ancient Greece, esp Sparta) a member of the class of unfree men above slaves owned by the state
2. (Historical Terms) (usually not capital) a serf or slave
[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 and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

hel•ot

(ˈhɛl ət)

n.
1. (cap.) a member of a class of serfs in ancient Sparta who were bound to the land and owned by the state.
2. a serf or slave.
[1570–80; < Latin hēlōtēs (pl.) < Greek heílōtes]
hel′ot•ry, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.helot - (Middle Ages) a person who is bound to the land and owned by the feudal lordhelot - (Middle Ages) a person who is bound to the land and owned by the feudal lord
Europe - the 2nd smallest continent (actually a vast peninsula of Eurasia); the British use `Europe' to refer to all of the continent except the British Isles
cottier, cotter - a medieval English villein
thrall - someone held in bondage
Dark Ages, Middle Ages - the period of history between classical antiquity and the Italian Renaissance
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
References in periodicals archive ?
The final two sections conclude with Oliver Grenouilleau, Stanley Engerman and Stephen Hodkinson surveying the process of exiting slave systems, emancipation, and themes in helotage and comparative perspectives.
Helotage existed in both Laconia and Messenia, though it followed quite different trajectories in the two regions.