1. mergo — Lewis & Short
mergo, si, sum, 3, v. a.cf. Sanscr. madsh-, majan, to dip; Zend, masga, marrow; Germ. Mark; Engl. marrow,
I to dip, dip in, immerse; absol. also to plunge into water, to sink.
I Lit. (class.):
eos (pullos) mergi in aquam jussit,Cic. N. D. 2, 3, 7:
aves, quae se in mari mergunt,id. ib. 2, 49, 124:
putealibus undis,Ov. Ib. 391:
Stygia undā,id. M. 10, 697:
prodigia indomitis merge sub aequoribus,Tib. 2, 5, 80:
ab hoc (the sword-fish) perfossas naves mergi,Plin. 32, 2, 6, § 15:
mersa navis omnes destituit,Curt. 4, 8, 8:
mersa carina,Luc. 3, 632:
cum coepisset mergi,Vulg. Matt. 14, 30:
in immensam altitudinem mergi, ac sine ulla respirandi vice perpeti maria,Sen. Dial. 4, 12, 4:
naves,Eutr. 2, 20:
partem classis,Vell. 2, 42, 2:
pars maxima classis mergitur,Luc. 3, 753 sq.:
nec me deus aequore mersit,Verg. A. 6, 348:
sub aequora,Ov. M. 13, 948; Luc. 3, 753:
ter matutino Tiberi mergetur,bathe, Juv. 6, 523.—Poet., of overwhelming waters, to engulf, swallow up, overwhelm, etc.:
sic te mersuras adjuvet ignis aquas,Ov. Ib. 340:
mersa rate,Juv. 14, 302.—
B Transf.
1 To sink down, sink in, to plunge, thrust, or drive in, to fix in, etc. (poet. and post-Aug. prose):
palmitem per jugum mergere, et alligare,to thrust, push, Plin. 17, 22, 35, § 180:
aliquem ad Styga,Sen. Thyest. 1007:
manum in ora (ursae),to thrust into, Mart. 3, 19, 4:
mersisque in corpore rostris Dilacerant (canes) falsi dominum sub imagine cervi,Ov. M. 3, 249: fluvius in Euphratem mergitur, runs or empties into, Plin. 6, 27, 31, § 128: visceribus ferrum. to thrust into, Claud. ap. Eutr. 1, 447.—Of heavenly bodies, etc.:
Bootes, Qui vix sero alto mergitur Oceano,sinks into, Cat. 66, 68.—
2 In partic., to hide, conceal:
mersitque suos in cortice vultus,Ov. M. 10, 498:
vultum,Sen. Herc. Oet. 1348:
diem or lucem, of the setting of the sun,id. Thyest. 771:
terra caelum mergens, i. e. occidentalis, because there the sky seems to sink into the sea,Luc. 4, 54. —Of those on board a vessel: mergere Pelion et templum, i. e. to sail away from until they sink below the horizon:
condere,Val. Fl. 2, 6.—
II Trop., to plunge into, sink, overwhelm, cover, bury, immerse, drown:
aliquem malis,Verg. A. 6, 512:
funere acerbo,to bring to a painful death, id. ib. 11, 28:
mergi in voluptates,to plunge into, yield one's self up to sensual delights, Curt. 10, 3, 9:
se in voluptates,Liv. 23, 18:
mergit longa atque insignis honorum pagina,Juv. 10, 57.—Esp. in part. pass.:
Alexander mersus secundis rebus,overwhelmed with prosperity, Liv. 9, 18:
vino somnoque mersi jacent,dead drunk and buried in sleep, id. 41, 3; Luc. 1, 159; cf.:
lumina somno,Val. Fl. 8, 66:
cum mergeretur somno,Vulg. Act. 20, 9.—Esp. of those whose fortune is swallowed up in debts or debauchery: mersus foro, bankrupt, Plaut Ep. 1, 2, 13:
aere paterno Ac rebus mersis in ventrem,Juv. 11, 39:
censum domini,Plin. 9, 17, 31, § 67:
mergentibus sortem usuris,sinking, destroying his capital, Liv. 6, 14:
ut mergantur pupilli,be robbed of their fortune, ruined, Dig. 27, 4, 3:
mersis fer opem rebus,bring aid to utter distress, Ov. M. 1, 380.—Of drinking to excess:
potatio quae mergit,Sen. Ep. 12.