demo

Everyday

1. (informal) A demonstration: showing how something works or is done. tree →
2. (informal) A public march or meeting where people show they support or are against something; a protest. tree →
3. A short, early or free version of a song, game or program to show what it is like: «a game demo», «a demo tape». tree →
4. (informal verb) To show how something works: «Can you demo the app?» tree →

In the lessons

In class the teacher may «do a quick demo» of an experiment. In the news, people «go on a demo» to protest. In games and music, a demo is a sample version. It is a clipped, casual form of «demonstration». Phrases: «give a demo», «do a demo», «go on a demo», «demo version».

Examples

• The teacher gave us a demo of how to use the microscope. tree →
• Thousands of people went on a demo about climate change. tree →
• I played the demo of the game before buying it. tree →
• The band recorded a demo in their garage. tree →
• Can you demo the new robot for the class? tree →
• The cooking demo showed us how to make pancakes. tree →

Note

Short for «demonstration»; informal. Plural «demos». Do not confuse with «demon». In formal writing use «demonstration».