Category:Demean

De*mean", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Demeaned; p. pr. & vb. n. Demeaning.] Etym: [OF. demener to conduct, guide, manage, F. se démener to struggledé- (L. de) + mener to lead, drive, carry on, conduct, fr. L. minare to drive animals by threatening cries, fr. minari to threaten. See Menace.]

1. To manage; to conduct; to treat. [Our] clergy have with violence demeaned the matter. Milton.

2. To conduct; to behave; to comport; -- followed by the reflexive pronoun. They have demeaned themselves Like men born to renown by life or death. Shak. They answered. . . that they should demean themselves according to their instructions. Clarendon.

3. To debase; to lower; to degrade; -- followed by the reflexive pronoun. Her son would demean himself by a marriage with an artist's daughter. Thackeray.

Note: This sense is probably due to a false etymology which regarded the word as connected with the adjective mean.

demean De*mean", n. Etym: [OF. demene. See Demean, v. t.]

1. Management; treatment. [Obs.] Vile demean and usage bad. Spenser.

2. Behavior; conduct; bearing; demeanor. [Obs.] With grave demean and solemn vanity. West.

demean De*mean", n. Etym: [See Demesne.]

1. Demesne. [Obs.]

2. pl.

Defn: Resources; means. [Obs.] You know How narrow our demeans are. Massinger.