demi

Noun

demi (plural demis)

1. Alternative spelling of demy.
2. (slang) A fifty pence piece.
3. A bottle of wine containing 0.375 liters of fluid, 1/2 the volume of a standard bottle; a split.
   • 2012, Time Out Paris, London: Time Out Guides, →ISBN, page 234:

     A croque-monsieur will set you back €6, a steak €12.50, and a demi of Stella €3.

Adjective

demi (comparative more demi, superlative most demi)

1. (informal) Demisexual.
   • 2017, Tayari Jones, Atlanta Noir (→ISBN):

     “[...] I totally think she's demi.” “What?” “Demisexual? She only likes fucking people she's in love with, whereas I,” Maddie said, moving closer to Jordan, “like fucking anything and anyone. Everyone has such hang-ups about sex, it's like pathetic, you know? We are just, like, totally animals after all, evolved monkeys. I'm all for giving in to my primal instincts.”

Anagrams

• Diem, Dime, dime, idem, meid

Etymology

From Vulgar Latin *dimedius, from Latin dīmidius.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /də.mi/

• demi

  (file)

Adjective

demi (feminine singular demie, masculine plural demis, feminine plural demies)

1. half

Noun

demi m (plural demis)

1. half (fraction)
2. (used in time) half (half-hour)

   Il est cinq heures et demie. - It is half past five. — but:

   Elle sera là dans une demi-heure. - She will be here in half an hour. (where “demi” indicates a fraction and where there is no agreement in gender and number)

3. a glass of beer of 250 ml volume

   Deux demis et un verre de vin rouge, s'il vous plaît. - Two small beers and a glass of red wine, please.

Further reading

• “demi” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Anagrams

• dîme, idem

Preposition

demi

1. at

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈdeː.miː/

Etymology 1

See dēmō (“I remove, take away, or subtract”).

Etymology 2

See dēmos (“a tract of land”, “[the common] people”).