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sub·merge

(səb-mûrj)

v. sub·merged, sub·merg·ing, sub·merg·es

v.tr.

1. To place under the surface of a liquid, especially water: submerged the pieces of chicken in the broth.

2. To cover with water or another liquid; inundate: The flood submerged the road.

3. To hide from view; obscure: "The few public tributes to Nat Turner in the mainstream black press of the late 1950s submerged the armed rebellion within a narrative of nonviolent protest" (Scot French).

v.intr.

1. To go under the surface of a body of water: The submarine submerged quickly to avoid detection.

2. To disappear as if by going under water.

[Latin submergere : sub-, sub- + mergere, to plunge.]

sub·mergence n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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