Lewis & Short

dē-mergo, si, sum, 3, v. a., to sink, submerge, to plunge into, to dip (class.).

  1. 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.
    1. 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.
    2. C. Intrans., to set (late Lat.): demergit sol et nascitur, Min. Fel. 34, 11.
  2. 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.