demo

¹ American  

[dem-oh] / ˈdɛm oʊ /

noun

plural

demos

1. demonstration.

2. demonstrator.

3. a recording of a new song or of one performed by an unknown singer or singing group, distributed to disc jockeys, recording companies, etc., to demonstrate the merits of the song or performer.

4. demolition.

   He does flooring and demo for a living.

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verb (used with object)

demoed, demoing

1. to try out or exhibit the use of (a product, process, or the like).

   You can demo the game without downloading or buying it.

2. to record (a song) to demonstrate the merits of the song or performer.

Demo ² American  

[dem-oh] / ˈdɛm oʊ /

noun

Informal.

plural

Demos

1. a member of the Democratic Party; Democrat.

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demo- ³ American  

1. a combining form occurring in loanwords from Greek, where it meant “people” (democratic ); on this model, used in the formation of compound words (demography ).

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demo ¹ British  

/ ˈdɛməʊ /

noun

1. short for demonstration

2. 1. a demonstration record or tape, used for audition purposes

   2. a demonstration of a prototype system

3. short for demonstrator

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demo- ² British  

combining form

1. indicating people or population

   demography

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Etymology

Origin of demo¹

1935–40; by shortening; -o

Origin of Demo²

An Americanism dating back to 1785–95

Origin of demo-³

< Greek dēmo-, combining form of dêmos

Example Sentences

Last year, he said Tesla would aim to have a Roadster demo by the end of 2025, but that timeline was also pushed back.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 17, 2026

Hackathons and demo days are one way to make sure the team stays inspired.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026

In an expansion of its Berlin site, Google added an "AI demo space" for new innovations, a separate floor for research teams and an area where AI-focused events will be held.

From Barron's • Mar. 5, 2026

Rushing into a nearby demo studio, Sedaka cut a version that was ready for radio, but RCA refused to release it, on the grounds that it only released records made in its studios.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026

I wasn’t up for watching Buzz’s demo reel or hearing about the friendly-faced Buddha she needed for the Tibetan prayer room she was designing.

From "Liar, Liar" by Gary Paulsen

Related Words

• album
• disk