helotism: Meaning and Definition of

hel•ot•ism

Pronunciation: (hel'u-tiz"um, hē'lu-), [key]
— n.
  1. the state or quality of being a helot; serfdom.
  2. the subordinate organisms in an unequal symbiotic relationship.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.