klepht

noun

often capitalized
: a Greek belonging to any of several independent guerrilla communities formed after the Turkish conquest of Greece
klephtic adjective often capitalized

Word History

Etymology

Modern Greek klephtēs, literally, robber, from Greek kleptēs, from kleptein

First Known Use

1820, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of klepht was in 1820

Dictionary Entries Near klepht

Cite this Entry

“Klepht.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/klepht. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on klepht

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!