Lewis & Short

dē-sĭlĭo, ĭlŭi (desului, Plaut. Rud. prol. 75: desilivi, Col. 6, 24, 3: desilii, id. 8, 5, 14; Curt. 4, 12, 3 al.), ultum, 4, v. n. [salio], to leap down.

  1. I. Prop. (class.). Constr. with abl. of the place whence, after de, ex, poet. and in later prose with ab or without a prep.: de navi in scapham, Plaut. Rud. prol. 75: de navibus, Caes. B. G. 4, 24, 2: de reda, Cic. Mil. 10, 29: de muro, Suet. Ner. 23: in terram e scapha, Plaut. Rud. 1, 2, 84: ex navi, Caes. B. G. 4, 25, 5: ex essedis, id. ib. 4, 33: ex equis, to dismount, alight, id. ib. 4, 2, 3; for which ab equo, Verg. A. 11, 500; cf.: praeceps ab alto curru, Ov. M. 12, 129; with e curru, id. A. A. 1, 560: curru, Verg. A. 12, 355; so bijugis, id. ib. 10, 453: lecto, Hor. S. 1, 2, 130: altis turribus, id. Epod. 17, 70: saxo, Ov. M. 7, 378: equo, Curt. 5, 6, 14; 6, 5, 26; Tac. A. 15, 28; Just. 15, 3, 13; cf. Tac. A. 1, 25.
    Merely designating the terminus ad quem, with in or acc.: in undas, Ov. M. 3, 681: in medias undas, id. F. 2, 111: in aquas, id. ib. 2, 588: in latices, id. M. 4, 353: in mare, Suet. Caes. 64: in rogos medios, Ov. A. A. 3, 22: in mortem, Sen. Ep. 76, 22 et saep.: ad pedes, to dismount, Caes. B. G. 4, 12, 2: ad calciandas mulas, Suet. Vesp. 23.
    Absol.: desilite commilitones, Caes. B. G. 4, 25, 3; Ov. M. 10, 722 al.
    1. B. Transf. of inanimate subjects: levis crepante lympha desilit pede, Hor. Epod. 16, 48; cf. id. Od. 3, 13, 16; Ov. F. 4, 428: fulminaque aetheria desiluisse domo, Prop. 2, 16, 50 (3, 8, 50 M.).
  2. * II. Trop.: nec desilies imitator in artum, unde, etc., throw thyself into difficulties, Hor. A. P. 134.