# demo

Pronunciation: say "DEM-oh" US /ˈdɛm.oʊ/, UK /ˈdɛm.əʊ/

## Noun

1. A demonstration, or an explanation that shows something visually instead of only describing it. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: A time when someone shows how something works or how to do something.
   - _The science teacher did a demo with baking soda and vinegar to show the reaction._
   - _Engineers ran public demos of the driverless bus on a closed-off street._
3. A recording of a song made to show its overall sound, in the hope of getting it published or recorded more fully. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: A recording that shows how a song sounds, made to get it published or recorded properly later.
   - _After hearing the band's three-song demo, the label offered them a week of studio time._
   - _The songwriter's demo, just piano and voice, convinced a pop star to record the track._
4. A version of a program with limited features, released to give users an idea of how it works. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: A version of a computer program or game with only some parts, so you can try it.
   - _The studio put out a demo of the game three months before launch._
   - _The demo lets you edit photos but won't let you save them._
5. A political protest in the form of a march or gathering. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: A march or meeting of people who are protesting about a political issue.
   - _Thousands of students joined the climate demo downtown._
   - _Police kept the two rival demos on opposite sides of the square._
8. Demolition, especially the tearing down or ripping out done in construction and home renovation. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: The work of tearing down or breaking out old parts of a building.
   - _Demo starts Monday, so the kitchen will be unusable for a week._
   - _The demo took two days, but the rebuild took three months._
9. A product that has been used for demonstrations and is then sold at a discount. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: A product that a store used to show customers and then sells for less.
   - _The laptop was a demo, so it came with a few scratches and a lower price._
   - _The dealership is clearing out its demos before the new models arrive._
11. A demographic group, especially one that marketers or broadcasters aim to reach. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: A group of people, such as teenagers or young parents, that a business wants to reach.
   - _The network cares less about total viewers than about how the show does in its target demo._
   - _Advertisers pay more for shows that are strong in the younger demos._
12. A non-interactive audiovisual computer program made by hobbyists to show off the capabilities of the machine it runs on. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: A program of graphics and music that you watch, not play, made by fans to show off a computer.
   - _The winning demo squeezed real-time 3D scenes and a full soundtrack into a tiny file._
   - _The crowd cheered as each demo pushed the old home computers further than anyone thought possible._

## Verb

2. To demonstrate something, especially by showing how it works or is used. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: To show someone how something works or how to use it.
   - _The salesperson offered to demo the espresso machine before we bought it._
   - _Our team demoed the prototype for investors last Friday._
6. To record a trial version of a song, usually one not meant to be sold commercially. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: To make a test recording of a song, usually not one that will be sold.
   - _Most songwriters demo their ideas at home on a laptop._
   - _Before going into the studio, they demoed about thirty songs and kept the best ten._
7. To tear down or rip out something, especially a house or a fixture. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: To break down and remove something, like a house or a built-in sink.
   - _The new owners plan to demo the house and build something modern on the lot._
   - _We demoed the old tub ourselves to save on labor costs._

## Adjective

10. Of a commercial product, set out for shoppers to try before buying, as a way to test their interest in the item.
   - Simple: Put out in a store so shoppers can try it before they buy one.
   - _Shoppers lined up to try the demo headsets at the front of the store._
   - _A prankster had changed the wallpaper on every demo laptop in the store._

## Other meanings

- (noun) A democrat.

## Origin

**Meanings 1, 3–5, 8–12** — A clipping of demonstration and of various other words beginning with "demo-".
**Meanings 2, 6** — A clipping of demonstrate.
**Meaning 7** — A clipping of demolish.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/demo (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).