[ 'mɛlkʌɪt ]
■ noun an Orthodox or Uniate Christian belonging to the patriarchate of Antioch, Jerusalem, or Alexandria.
↘an Eastern Christian adhering to the Orthodox faith as defined by the councils of Ephesus (AD 431) and Chalcedon (AD 451) and as accepted by the Byzantine emperor.
Origin
C17: via eccles. L. from Byzantine Gk Melkhitai , plural representing Syriac malkāyā 'royalists' (i.e. expressing agreement with the Byzantine emperor).