n. 1. An officer in command of ten men in the army of ancient Rome. 2. A member of a municipal senate in ancient Rome that ran local government. [Latin decuriō, from decuria, group of ten men, administrative body of ten families, from *decu-viria : decem, ten; see dek in the Appendix of Indo-European roots + vir, man; see wī-ro- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] |
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