1. To ask for urgently: The mayor demanded that the police conduct an investigation into the murder of the child as soon as possible

Theodore demanded to speak to the manager about the poor quality of the product that he had recently purchased.

2. To claim as just or due: The bank is demanding repayment of Joe's loan.

3. To ask to be informed of: The teacher was demanding to know why the students thought her comments were so funny.
4. To require as useful, just, proper, or necessary; to call for: Jill was told that the jewelry she was considering to buy had a gem that demanded a fine setting in the necklace.
5. In law: To summon to court; to claim formally; lay legal claim to: During the court proceedings documents were demanded by the prosecutor for further proof of the case.

The right of a woman to have a medical operation at any time during pregnancy in which a developing fetus is removed so it is not born alive: The rallying cry of the pro-choice group at the parade was for the right of women to have abortions-on-demand.

1. The amount of dissolved oxygen (DO) consumed by micro-organism in the biochemical oxidation of organic and inorganic matter; a commonly used measurement to determine water quality, since the amount of oxygen used is an indicator of the level of organic waste that is present.
2. The standard measurement for determining the level of organic pollution in a sample of water.
3. The oxygen required by aerobic organisms; such as, those in sewage, for metabolism.

It is the amount of oxygen used by micro-organisms feeding on the organic material over a given period. Sewage effluent must be diluted to comply with the statutory BOD before it can be disposed of into "clean" rivers.

A measurement of the amount of oxygen required by aerobic organisms to carry out oxidative metabolism in a given volume of water containing organic material; for example, waste matter in a water supply.