I.v. a., to sink, submerge, to plunge into, to dip (class.).
I. Lit.: “candens ferrum in gelidum imbrem,” Lucr. 6, 149: “pars remorum demersa liquore,” id. 4, 441; cf.: cornix demersit caput, Cic. poët. Div. 1, 8 fin.; “and demersis aequora rostris Ima petunt,” Verg. A. 9, 119: “Marium senile corpus paludibus occultasse demersum,” Cic. Sest. 22, 50; cf. id. Div. 2, 68; id. Fin. 2, 32, 105: “navem,” Plin. 32, 2, 6, § 15: triremem hostium perforare et demergere, Auct. B. Alex. 25, 5; 31 fin.: “pullos mari,” Suet. Tib 2; and in pass. of a person: “vehementi circio bis paene demersus est,” id. Claud. 17: “plebem in fossas cloacasque exhauriendas,” i. e. to busy, employ, Liv. 1, 59; cf.: “vultum in undas,” Prop. 3, 18, 9 (4, 17, 9 M.): “metalla,” Plin. H. N. 33 prooem.: stirpem, to sink or set in, to plant (with deponere), Col. 3, 18, 2 sq.; cf. “surculos,” Pall. Febr. 17, 3: “dapes in alvum,” Ov. M. 15, 105; cf. id. ib. 6, 664: si quando nos demersimus, ut qui urinantur, Cic. Ac. Fragm. ap. Non. 474, 27.—Poet.: “colla demersere humeris (i. e. absconderunt),” Stat. Th. 6, 850.—
B. Esp. of the sun-god, etc., to sink in the sea, cause to set (poet.): “sex ubi sustulerit totidem demerserit orbes purpureum rapido qui vehit axe diem,” Ov. F. 3, 517 sq.: “Titan igniferi tantum demerserat orbis, quantum, etc.,” Luc. 3, 41 sq.—
II. Trop., to sink, depress, overwhelm: “animus depressus et quasi demersus in terram,” Cic. de Sen. 21: “demersae leges alicujus opibus, emergunt aliquando,” id. Off. 2, 7, 24: “patriam demersam extuli,” id. Sull. 31, 87; cf. Nep. Dion, 6; “and concidit domus, ob lucrum demersa exitio,” Hor. Od. 3, 16, 13: “plebs aere alieno demersa,” Liv. 2, 29, 8; cf. id. 6, 27, 6: “Rheam in perpetuam virginitatem demersit,” Just. 43, 2.—P. a., dēmersus , a, um, depressed. —Comp.: “pulsus, Coel. Am. Acut. 2, 32, 165: qui demersiora scrutantur,” Rufin. Origen in Cant. 3, p. 10.