De*mean" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Demeaned (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Demeaning.] [OF. demener to conduct, guide, manage, F.
se démener to struggle; pref. dé- (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.
&fist; This sense is probably due to a false etymology which
regarded the word as connected with the adjective mean.
De*mean" (?), n. [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.
De*mean", n. [See Demesne.]
1. Demesne. [Obs.]
2. pl. Resources; means.
[Obs.]
You know
How narrow our demeans are.
Massinger.
