Meanings
plural demes
- A township or other subdivision of ancient Attica.
They increased the authority of the Assembly and divided Attica into numerous small wardlike districts, the demes.
2009, Don Nardo, Ancient Greece, page 971 more example
If two persons bore the same name[…] ambiguity was avoided […] by indicating their place of origin, the name of the tribe or deme being added for persons of the same town […], and the name of the country or town for foreigners […].
1945, E[lizabeth] G[idley] Withycombe, “Introduction”, in The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page xiiiSynonyms: demos
- biologyA distinct local population of plants or animals.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA township or other subdivision of ancient Attica.
Origin
- Ancient Greekδῆμος“district”
- Englishdeme
From Ancient Greek δῆμος (dêmos, “district”). Doublet of demos.
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek δῆμος
- δῆμος (dêmos)township of Attica
Finnish demos
- demostownship of Attica
French dème
- dèmetownship of Attica
Greek δήμος
- δήμος (dímos)township of Attica
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with deme
Sounds the same
Anagrams
Cite this entry
deme. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/deme
“deme.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/deme. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “deme,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/deme.
Source: deme on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.