decury

English

Etymology

From Latin decuria, from decem (“ten”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈdɛkjəɹi/

Noun

decury (plural decuries)

1. (Ancient Rome) A group of ten men under the command of a decurion.
   • 1904, John Henry Freese, Alfred John Church, William Jackson Brodribb, Roman History, Books I-III‎^[1]:

     Accordingly, the hundred senators divided the government among themselves, ten decuries being formed, and the individual members who were to have the chief direction of affairs being chosen into each decury.

   • 1760, Robert Kerr, A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Vol. 1‎^[2]:

     If one, two, or more of a decury proceed bravely to battle, and the rest do not follow, the cowards are slain.

References

• “decury”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.