— perioecic, perioecid , adj.
/per'ee ee"suy/ , n.pl., sing. Perioecus /-keuhs/ .
the inhabitants of ancient Laconia, constituting a dependent people of Sparta, who governed themselves and had a monopoly on trade and manufacture. Cf. Helot (def. 1), Spartiate .
[ 1585-95; perioeci períoikoi countryside dwellers, n. use of pl. of PERÍOIKOS neighboring, equiv. to peri- PERI- + -oikos, adj. deriv. of oîkos house ]