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decemvir

 - 2 dictionary results

de⋅cem⋅vir

  [di-sem-ver]
Use decemvir in a Sentence
–noun, plural -virs, -vi⋅ri  [-vuh-rahy] .
1. a member of a permanent board or a special commission of ten members in ancient Rome, esp. the commission that drew up Rome's first code of law.
2. a member of any council or ruling body of ten.
Origin:
1570–80; < L, orig. pl. decemvirī, equiv. to decem ten + virī men

Related forms:
de⋅cem⋅vi⋅ral, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To decemvir
de·cem·vir   (dĭ-sěm'vər)   
n.   pl. de·cem·virs or de·cem·vi·ri (-və-rī')

  1. One of a body of ten Roman magistrates, especially a member of one of two such bodies appointed in 451 and 450 B.C. to draw up a code of laws.

  2. One of an authoritative body of ten.


[Middle English, from Latin, sing. of decemvirī, commission of ten men : decem, ten; see dek in Indo-European roots + virī, pl. of vir, man; see wī-ro- in Indo-European roots.]
de·cem'vi·ral adj., de·cem'vi·rate (-vər-ĭt, -və-rāt') n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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