Inflected forms: pl. de·cem·virs or de·cem·vi·ri (-v-r) 1. One of a body of ten Roman magistrates, especially a member of one of two such bodies appointed in 451 and 450 b.c. to draw up a code of laws. 2. One of an authoritative body of ten.
ETYMOLOGY:
Middle English, from Latin, sing. of decemvir, commission of ten men : decem, ten; see dek in Appendix I + vir, pl. of vir, man; see w-ro- in Appendix I.
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