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decemvirate

 - 2 dictionary results

de⋅cem⋅vi⋅rate

  [di-sem-ver-it, -vuh-reyt]
Use decemvirate in a Sentence
–noun
1. a board or group of decemvirs.
2. the office or government of decemvirs.
Origin:
1610–20; < L decemvirātus. See decemvir, -ate 3
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To decemvirate
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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