decemvir
Americannoun
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decemvirs,
plural
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decemviri
plural
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a member of a permanent board or a special commission of ten members in ancient Rome, especially the commission that drew up Rome's first code of law.
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a member of any council or ruling body of ten.
noun
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(in ancient Rome) a member of a board of ten magistrates, esp either of the two commissions established in 451 and 450 bc to revise the laws
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a member of any governing body composed of ten men
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of decemvir
1570–80; < Latin, originally plural decemvirī, equivalent to decem ten + virī men
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Virginius had returned to the camp, where the soldiers, having heard of the fall of the decemvir, proceeded to hit him, as usual, when down, renouncing the authority of Appius and his colleagues.
From The Comic History of Rome by Gilbert Abbott ? Becket
To them the assembly pays attention, they drown with clamour the voice of the decemvir.
From The History of Rome, Books 01 to 08 by Titus Livius
But the name of the decemvir still carries terror with it, and the commons waver at the sound.
From Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 61, No. 379, May, 1847 by Various
For this man, formerly distinguished at home and abroad, had been so altered by his office of decemvir and the influence of his colleagues that he chose rather to be like Appius than like himself.
From Roman History, Books I-III by Titus Livius
The great man at Rome during the period of the Samnite wars was Appius Claudius—great grandson of the decemvir, and the proudest aristocrat that had yet appeared.
From Ancient States and Empires by John Lord
The next day a decree of the senate was passed, that the decemviri should inspect the books relating to the celebration of games and sacred rites in honour of Apollo.
From The History of Rome, Books 09 to 26 by Titus Livius
Did the Romans tamely submit to the tyranny of the decemviri?
I do believe, if his story were impartialy transmitted, and the unprejudiced world wel possest with it, she would adde him to her nine worthies, and make up that number a decemviri.
From Characters from 17th Century Histories and Chronicles by Various
Besides decreeing, no doubt with the sanction of the pontifices, certain ordinary measures, the Senate referred the matter to the decemviri and the Sibylline 318books.
From The Religious Experience of the Roman People From the Earliest Times to the Age of Augustus by W. Warde Fowler
The decemviri all perished, either in prison or in banishment.
From Roman Antiquities, and Ancient Mythology For Classical Schools (2nd ed) by Charles K. Dillaway
Ye became weary of decemvirs; we compelled them to resign the office.
From The History of Rome, Books 01 to 08 by Titus Livius
Mem.But with length of time We gain a step in knowledge, and I look Forward to be one day of the decemvirs.
From The Works of Lord Byron. Vol. 5 Poetry by Ernest Hartley Coleridge
The third form of government was under the absolute control of ten magistrates called decemvirs, and are also called prætors.
From The Gospel Day Or, the Light of Christianity by Charles Ebert Orr
The legions being enrolled, the decemvirs set about arranging among themselves who should set out to the war, who command the armies.
From The History of Rome, Books 01 to 08 by Titus Livius
The expectation of this, as the day of election approached, created a desire to appoint decemvirs again.
From The History of Rome, Books 01 to 08 by Titus Livius
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
