deme

[ deem ]

noun

1. one of the administrative divisions of ancient Attica and of modern Greece.
2. Biology. a local population of organisms of the same kind, especially one in which the genetic mix is similar throughout the group.

deme

/ diːm /

noun

1. 1. (in preclassical Greece) the territory inhabited by a tribe
   2. (in ancient Attica) a geographical unit of local government
2. biology a group of individuals within a species that possess particular characteristics of cytology, genetics, etc

deme

/ dēm /

1. A small, locally interbreeding group of organisms within a larger population. Demes are isolated reproductively from other members of their species, although the isolation may only be partial and is not necessarily permanent. Because they share a somewhat restricted gene pool, members of a deme generally differ morphologically to some degree from members of other demes.
2. See also population

Other Words From

• dem·ic [dem, -ik, dee, -mik], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of deme¹

First recorded in 1620–30, deme is from the Greek word dêmos a district, the people, commons

Word History and Origins

Origin of deme¹

C19: from Greek dēmos district in local government, the populace

Example Sentences

"We are at war with local traitors, and with their foreign backers," said Etisa Deme, a city council member.

From BBC

Vineyard Wind contracted with the Deme Group, a Belgium-based company that owns one of them: a 438-foot vessel named the Sea Installer.

From Scientific American

It’s just one of a new generation of ocean miners that include Lockheed Martin, China Minmetals and Belgium’s Deme Group, which used a deep-sea mining robot on April 20 to retrieve minerals for the first time.

From Seattle Times

“The spark of living in the city just kind of burned out a bit with everything being closed,” said Deme Peterson, 30, who moved across the bay to her hometown of Walnut Creek with her husband a few weeks ago.

From Seattle Times

“The spark of living in the city just kind of burned out a bit with everything being closed,” said Deme Peterson, 30, who moved across the bay to her hometown of Walnut Creek with her husband a few weeks ago.

From Washington Times