To drowne in the water: to deepe: to ouerwhelme. Tellurem ponto mersit Neptunus. Colum. Mergit se limo sæpius, siccâtque sole. Plin. Brachia mersit in aquas. Ouid. Mergere se in flumen. Varro. Æquore mergere aliquem. Virg. Vnda mergere aliquem. Ouid. In vndis mergere aliquem. Ouid. Sub æquore mergere aliquem. Virg. Mergit se in mari. Cic. Mergiur vnda delphinus. Cic. Mergere cymbas. Plin. To drowne boates. Vnda mergit ratem in ima. Ouid. Pars maxima classis mergitur. Lucan. The greatest parte of the nauie is drowned: or the greatest part of the ship goeth vnder the water. Lumina somno mergimus. Val. Flac. We fall on sleepe. Ferrum mersit vilceribus. Claud. He thrust the srde into his belly. Mergere vltimis supplicijs. per translationem. Plin. To put to death or extreame punishment. Mersus secundis rebus. Liuius. Ouerwhelmed in prosperitie: drowned in wealth. Malis mergere aliquem. Virg. To cast into miserie & trouble. Funere mergere aliquem. Virg. To put to death. Neque in hoc administrantur tutelæ, vt mergantur pupilli. Vlpianus. That wardes should be cast in to great debt.

To drowne often: to dippe in often. Aries mersatur in gurgite. Virg. Fluctibus fortunæ mersor. Catull.

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.

I. Lit.: balantumque gregem fluvio mersare salubri, Verg. G. 1, 272: balneo infertur, calida aqua mersatur, Tac. A. 15, 69.—

II. Trop., to overwhelm: rerum copia mersat, drowns, destroys, Lucr. 5, 1008: mersor civilibus undis, plunge myself, Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 16.—

III. Pass.: mersari, to set, of the stars, Mart. Cap. 8, 844; cf. merto.