The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word HELOT
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
H
E
L
O
T
More clues leading to the result HELOT
- The fellow facing destiny as a lowly worker
- Meeting fate, male serf
- One not free to work everything, except at the start
- Menial worker much in demand around US railroad
- A male auction item?
- He’s enthralled by the lottery
- Ancient slave, male, with parcel
- Being in slavery topped everything
- Servant trashing hotel
- The man will meet destiny as slave
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "A male auction item?" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case a male auction item? = helot.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does HELOT mean?
HELOT noun- A member of the ancient Spartan class of serfs.
- A serf; a slave.