decurion

[ dih-kyoor-ee-uhn ]

nounRoman History.

the head of a decury.
a member of the senate of an ancient Roman colony or municipality.

Origin of decurion

1350–1400; Middle English <Latin decuriōn- (stem of decuriō), equivalent to decuri(a) a division of ten (dec(em) ten + -uria-ure) + -iōn--ion

Words Nearby decurion

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use decurion in a sentence

At last he stirred slightly, and the decurion turned and looked down.
The Lion's Brood | Duffield Osborne
Cicero said that it was easier to be a Senator at Rome than a decurion at Pompeii.
The Wonders of Pompeii | Marc Monnier
The five-mile race was over, and had been won as usual by decurion Brennus, the crack long-distance champion of the Herculians.
The Last of the Legions and Other Tales of Long Ago | Arthur Conan Doyle
In a moment the boy sprang into the decurion's way so suddenly that the soldier almost fell over him.
The City of Delight | Elizabeth Miller
The decurion in charge of the squad brought up his gray horse with such suddenness that the animal's feet slid in the gravel.
The City of Delight | Elizabeth Miller

British Dictionary definitions for decurion

decurion

/ (dɪˈkjʊərɪən) /

noun(in the Roman Empire)

a local councillor
the commander of a troop of ten cavalrymen

Origin of decurion

C14: from Latin decuriō, from decuria company of ten, from decem ten

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

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