decury
(ˈdɛkjʊərɪ)
Also 6 decure.
[a. OF. decurie or ad. L. decuria a division or company of ten, f. dec-em ten, after centuria century.]
Rom. Hist. and Antiq. A division consisting of ten men, a company or body of ten; applied also to larger classes or divisions (e.g. of the judices, scribæ, etc.).
| 1533 Bellenden Livy i. (1822) 30 The faderis, quhilk war ane hundreth in nowmer, devidit thaimself in ten decuris, ilk decure contening ten men in nowmer. 1563–7 Buchanan Reform. St. Andros Wks. (1892) 8 The regent sal..assigne thayme place in hys classe diuidit in decuriis. 1586 T. B. La Primaud. Fr. Acad. i. 643 The Pretors..tooke a certain number of Iudges..who..were distributed by decuries or tens. 1695 Kennett Par. Antiq. (1818) II. 340 In the larger houses, where the numbers amounted to several decuries, the senior dean had a special preeminence. 1847 Grote Greece ii. xxxi. IV. 189, 5000 of these citizens were arranged in ten pannels or decuries of 500 each. |