diff --git a/src/AbstractMeshes.jl b/src/AbstractMeshes.jl
index 5df6f98..5292f39 100644
--- a/src/AbstractMeshes.jl
+++ b/src/AbstractMeshes.jl
@@ -42,7 +42,8 @@ Base.iterate(mesh::AbstractMesh, state) = (state >= length(mesh)) ? nothing : (m
 Base.length(mesh::AbstractMesh) = prod(mesh.size)
 Base.size(mesh::AbstractMesh) = mesh.size
 Base.size(mesh::AbstractMesh, I) = mesh.size[I]
-dimension(mesh::AbstractMesh{T,DIM}) where {T,DIM} = DIM
+# dimension(mesh::AbstractMesh{T,DIM}) where {T,DIM} = DIM
+Base.ndims(mesh::AbstractMesh{T,DIM}) where {T,DIM} = DIM
 
 # below are interfaces that should be implemented by concrete types
 Base.show(io::IO, mesh::AbstractMesh) = error("not implemented!")
diff --git a/src/CompositeMeshes.jl b/src/CompositeMeshes.jl
index 064de77..77e09e8 100644
--- a/src/CompositeMeshes.jl
+++ b/src/CompositeMeshes.jl
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ end
 
 function CompositeMesh(panelmesh::PM, N) where {PM}
     T = eltype(panelmesh)
-    DIM = dimension(panelmesh)
+    DIM = ndims(panelmesh)
     submeshes = []
     for (i, p) in enumerate(panelmesh)
         intervals = AbstractMeshes.interval(panelmesh, i)