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In ecclesiastical and old European law. An officer having supervision over ten; a dean. A term applied not only to ecclesiastical, but to civil and military, officers. Decanus monasticus; a monastic dean, or dean of a monastery; an officer over ten monks. Dccanus in majori ecclcsiw; dean of a cathedral church, presiding over ten prebendaries. Dccanus cpis- enpi; a bishop's or rural dean, presiding over ten clerks or parishes. Dccanus fribori/i; dean of a friborg. An officer among the Saxons who presided over a friborg, tithing, decennary, or association of ten inhabitants; otherwise called a "tithing man," or "bors- hohlcr." Dccanus militaris; a military officer. having command of ten soldiers. Spelman. In Roman law. An officer having the command of a company or "mess" of ten soldiers. Also an officer at Constantinople having charge of the burial of the dead.