Perioeci: Meaning and Definition of

Per•i•oe•ci

Pronunciation: (per"ē-ē'sī), [key]
— sing. -cus
  1. the inhabitants of ancient Laconia, constituting a dependent people of Sparta, who governed themselves and had a monopoly on trade and manufacture. Cf.(def. 1),
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.