v. t.
[ Our ] clergy have with violence demeaned the matter. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]
They have demeaned themselves
Like men born to renown by life or death. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]
They answered . . . that they should demean themselves according to their instructions. Clarendon. [ 1913 Webster ]
Her son would demean himself by a marriage with an artist's daughter. Thackeray. [ 1913 Webster ]
☞ This sense is probably due to a false etymology which regarded the word as connected with the adjective mean. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. [ OF. demene. See Demean, v. t. ]
Vile demean and usage bad. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]
With grave demean and solemn vanity. West. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. [ See Demesne. ]
You know
How narrow our demeans are. Massinger. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. Demeanor. [ Obs. ] Skelton. [ 1913 Webster ]
n.
God commits the managing so great a trust . . . wholly to the demeanor of every grown man. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]
His demeanor was singularly pleasing. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]
The men, as usual, liked her artless kindness and simple refined demeanor. Thackeray. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. Behavior. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]