deme

[ deem ]

noun
  1. one of the administrative divisions of ancient Attica and of modern Greece.

  2. Biology. a local population of organisms of the same kind, especially one in which the genetic mix is similar throughout the group.

Origin of deme

1
First recorded in 1620–30, deme is from the Greek word dêmos a district, the people, commons

Other words from deme

  • dem·ic [dem-ik, dee-mik], /ˈdɛm ɪk, ˈdi mɪk/, adjective

Words Nearby deme

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How to use deme in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for deme

deme

/ (diːm) /


noun
    • (in preclassical Greece) the territory inhabited by a tribe

    • (in ancient Attica) a geographical unit of local government

  1. biology a group of individuals within a species that possess particular characteristics of cytology, genetics, etc

Origin of deme

1
C19: from Greek dēmos district in local government, the populace

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for deme

deme

[ dēm ]


  1. A small, locally interbreeding group of organisms within a larger population. Demes are isolated reproductively from other members of their species, although the isolation may only be partial and is not necessarily permanent. Because they share a somewhat restricted gene pool, members of a deme generally differ morphologically to some degree from members of other demes. See also population.

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