decuman

[ dek-yoo-muhn ]

adjective
  1. large or immense, as a wave.

  2. (in ancient Rome) of or relating to the tenth cohort of a legion.

noun
  1. Also called decuman gate . (in ancient Rome) the main gate of a military camp, facing away from the enemy and near which the tenth cohort of the legion was usually stationed.

Origin of decuman

1
1650–60; <Latin decumānus, decimānus of the tenth, large, equivalent to decim(us) tenth (see decimate) + -ānus-an

Words Nearby decuman

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use decuman in a sentence

  • These three decuman streets are the arteries of ancient Naples.

    Naples Past and Present | Arthur H. Norway
  • Without halting, they rush toward the decuman gate, and attempt to enter the camp.

    History of Julius Caesar Vol. 2 of 2 | Napoleon III, Emperor of the French, 1808-1873.
  • Its church, St decuman's, on the way to Williton, is interesting.

    Somerset | G.W. Wade and J.H. Wade