semese

/sɪˈmiːs/

Etymology

From the Latin sēmēsus; from sēm- (“half-”) + ēsus (“eaten”), the perfect passive participle of edō (“to eat”).

adj

  1. Half-eaten.““Ha, ha, ha!” said Bruce. “No; they’re sons of gyps and that kind of thing, who feed on the semese fragments of the high table.””

noun

  1. A member of the warrior caste of the Elema of Papua New Guinea.“During this period they meet the semese or fighting men of the tribe, “from whom they receive every incentive to become warriors.” Finally there are certain endurance tests that each heapu must pass before he is considered eligible to become a semese. “Of these the most important tests are, chewing upe (the root of the ginger plant), and drinking the urine of the semese chief.” The wind-up of the ”