Lewis & Short

dē-mitto, mīsi, missum, 3, v. a., to send down; to drop; to let, sink, or bring down; to cause to hang or fall down; to lower, put down, let fall (freq. and class.).

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. In gen.: picis e caelo demissum flumen, Lucr. 6, 257; cf.: caelo imbrem, Verg. G. 1, 23: caelo ancilia, Liv. 5, 54 et saep.: barbam malis, Lucr. 5, 673: latum clavum pectore, Hor. S. 1, 6, 28; cf.: monilia pectoribus, Verg. A. 7, 278: laenam ex humeris, id. ib. 4, 263: Maia genitum demittit ab alto, Verg. A. 1, 297; cf.: ab aethere currum, Ov M. 7, 219: e muro sporta, Sall. Hist. 2, 53: aliquem in sporta per murum, Vulg. 2 Cor. 11, 33: taleam (sc. in terram), to put into the ground, plant, Cato R. R. 45, 2; arbores altius, Plin. 17, 11, 16, § 81: puteum alte in solido, i. e. to sink deep, Verg. G. 2, 231: triginta pedes in terram turrium fundamenta, Curt. 5, 1, 31: arbusta certo demittunt tempore florem, Lucr. 5, 670: demisit nardini amphoram cellarius (i. e. deprompsit), Plaut. Mil. 3, 2, 12: fasces, Cic. Rep. 2, 31; cf. id. ib. 1, 40: cibos (sc. in alvum), Quint. 10, 1, 19; cf. Ov. M. 8, 835.
      Naut. t. t., to lower, demittere antennas, Sall. Hist. 4, 41 Dietsch.; Auct. B. Alex. 45, 2: cornua (i.e. antennas), Ov. M. 11, 482; cf.: effugit hibernas demissa antenna procellas, id. Tr. 3, 4, 9: arma, classem, socios Rheno, Tac. A. 1, 45 fin.; cf.: farinam doliis secundā aquā Volturni fluminis, Frontin. Strat. 3, 14, 2; and pecora secundā aquā, id. ib. 3, 14, 4: manum artifices demitti infra pectus vetant, Quint. 11, 3, 112; cf. brachia, id. 2, 13, 9: frontem (opp. attolli), id. 11, 3, 78: supercilia (opp. allevari), ib. § 79: aures, Hor. Od. 2, 13, 34; cf. auriculas, id. S. 1, 9, 20: caput, Ov. M. 10, 192: crinem, id. ib. 6, 289: demisso capite, Vulg. Job 32, 6 al.: aliquos per funem, Verg. A. 2, 262; Hor. A. P. 461: vestem, id. S. 1, 2, 95; cf. tunicam, id. ib. 25: stolam, id. ib. 99 et saep.; often in a violent manner, to cast down, to cast, throw, thrust, plunge, drive, etc.: equum in flumen, Cic. Div. 1, 33, 73; cf.: equos a campo in cavam viam, Liv. 23, 47: aliquem in carcerem, Liv. 34, 44 fin.; cf. Sall. C. 55, 4: aliquem ad imos Manes, Verg. A. 12, 884: hostem in ovilia, Hor. Od. 4, 4, 10: gladium in jugulum, Plaut. Merc. 3, 4, 28; cf.: ferrum in ilia, Ov. M. 4, 119: sublicas in terram, Caes. B. G. 3, 49, 4; cf.: huc stipites, id. ib. 7, 73, 3 and 6: huc caementa, Hor. Od. 3, 1, 35: nummum in loculos, to put, id. Ep. 2, 1, 175: calculum atrum in urnam, Ov. M. 15, 44: milia sex nummum in arcam nummariam, Nov. Com. v. 108 Rib.: caput ad fornicem Fabii, to bow, stoop, Crassus ap. Cic. de Or. 2, 66, 267: tunicam ad talos, Varr. ap. Non. 286, 19; cf. Cic. Clu. 40, 111; Quint. 5, 13, 39 et saep.: quove velim magis fessas demittere naves, Verg. A. 5, 29; cf.: navem secundo amni Scodam, Liv. 44, 31.
      Poet. with dat.: corpora Stygiae nocti tormentis, Ov. M. 3, 695; cf.: aliquem neci, Verg. A. 2, 85: aliquem Orco, id. ib. 2, 398; Hor. Od. 1, 28, 11: aliquem umbris, Sil. 11, 142: ferrum jugulo, Ov. H. 14, 5: ferrum lacubus, id. M. 12, 278: offa demittitur faucibus boum, Plin. 27, 11, 76, § 101.
        1. b. Se, or in the pass. form with middle signif., to let one’s self down, stoop, descend: (venti vortex) ubi se in terras demisit, Lucr. 6, 446: se inguinibus tenus in aquam calidam, Cels. 1, 3: se ad aurem alicujus, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 30; cf.: cum se demittit ob assem, Hor. Ep. 1, 16, 64: concava vallis erat, qua se demittere rivi Assuerant, Ov. M. 8, 334 al.: nonullae (matres familias) de muris per manus demissae, Caes. B. G. 7, 47, 6.
          Prov.: demitti de caelo, or simply caelo, to be sent down from heaven, i. e. to be of celestial origin, Liv. 10, 8, 10; Quint. 1, 6, 16.
    2. B. Esp., milit. t. t.
      1. 1. To send, bring, or lead down soldiers into a lower place: in loca plana agmen demittunt, Liv. 9, 27; cf.: agmen in vallem infimam, id. 7, 34: equites Numidas in inferiorem campum, id. 27, 18: agmen in Thessaliam, id. 32, 13; 38, 2: exercitum in planitiem, Frontin. Strat. 1, 2, 7 al.; and without in: agmen, Liv. 9, 2: levem armaturam, id. 22, 28 al.: cum se major pars agminis in magnam convallem demisisset, had descended, Caes. B. G. 5, 32 fin.; so with se, id. ib. 6, 40, 6; 7, 28, 2; id. B. C. 1, 79, 4; Cic. Fam. 15, 4, 4 al.
      2. 2. Arma demittere, in making a military salute: armis demissis salutationem more militari faciunt, with grounded arms, Auct. B. Afr. 85, 6.
  2. II. Trop., to cast down, let sink, etc.: demisere oculos omnes gemitumque dedere, Ov. M. 15, 612; cf.: vultu demisso, Vulg. Isa. 49, 23: demissis in terram oculis, Liv. 9, 38, 13; also in sleep: cadit inscia clavo Dextera, demittitque oculos, Val. Fl. 3, 41: vultum, Val. Max. 8, 14, 5; Curt. 6, 32, 1: vultum animumque metu, Ov. M. 7, 133; cf. vultus, id. ib. 10, 367; Liv. 2, 58. hoc in pectus tuum demitte, impress this deeply on your mind, Sall. J. 102 fin.; cf.: eas voces in pectora animosque, Liv. 34, 50; and: dolor hoc altius demissus, quo minus profiteri licet, Just. 8, 5, 11: cum in eum casum me fortuna demisisset, ut, etc., had reduced, Planc. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 8, 2: dignitatem in discrimen, Liv. 3, 35: vim dicendi ad unum auditorem (opp. supra modum sermonis attolli), Quint. 1, 2, 31; to engage in, enter upon, embark in, meddle with: me penitus in causam, Cic. Att. 7, 12, 3; cf.: me in res turbulentissimas, id. Fam. 9, 1, 2: cogita ne te eo demittas, unde, etc., Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 16 fin.: se in comparationem, Suet. Rhet. 6: se in adulationem, to descend to, Tac. A. 15, 73: se usque ad servilem patientiam, id. ib. 14, 26: se ad minora illa, Quint. 1 prooem. § 5: re in secunda tollere animos et in mala demittere, to let it sink, i. e. to be disheartened, Lucil. ap. Non. 286, 7; cf.: si vicerint, efferunt se laetitia: victi debilitantur animosque demittunt, Cic. Fin. 5, 15, 42; so, animos (with contrahere), id. Tusc. 4, 6 fin.; and: animum (with contrahere), id. Q. Fr. 1, 1, § 4: mentes, Verg. A. 12, 609 (desperant, sicut e contra sperantes aliquid erigunt mentes, Serv.); and with abl.: ne se admodum animo demitterent, Caes. B. G. 7, 29.
    In geom., t. t., to let fall a line, Vitr. 3, 5, 5.
    Hence, dēmissus, a, um, P. a., brought down, lowered.
    1. A. Lit.
      1. 1. Of localities, sunken, low-lying, low (cf. dejectus, P. a., no. I.): campestribus ac demissis locis, Caes. B. G. 7, 72, 3; cf.: loca demissa ac palustria, id. B. C. 3, 49, 5.
      2. 2. Of other things, drooping, falling, hanging down: demissis umeris esse, Ter. Eun. 2, 3, 22 Ruhnk.: tremulus, labiis demissis, with flabby lips, id. ib. 2, 3, 44: demisso capite discedere, Cic. Clu. 21, 58; cf.: tristes, capite demisso, Caes. B. G. 1, 32: demisso vultu, with downcast looks, Sall. C. 31, 7.
        Poet. in Gr. constr.: Dido vultum demissa, Verg. A. 1, 561.
        Also deep: demissa vulnera, Sen. Ep. 67 fin.
    2. B. Trop.
      1. 1. Downcast, dejected, dispirited, low (freq.): erigebat animum jam demissum, Cic. Clu. 21, 58: esse fracto animo et demisso, id. Fam. 1, 9, 16: (homines) animo demisso atque humili, id. Font. 11; cf. id. Tusc. 2, 21: demisso animo fuit, Sall. J. 98 al.: demissa voce loqui, Verg. A. 3, 320.
        In the comp.: nihilo demissiore animo causa ipse pro se dicta, Liv. 4, 44.
        Transf. to the person: quis P. Sullam nisi moerentem, demissum afflictumque vidit? Cic. Sull. 26 fin.: videsne illum demissum? id. Mur. 21, 45; Quint. 1, 3, 10 al.
        Comp.: orator in ornamentis et verborum et sententiarum demissior, Cic. Or. 24, 81.
      2. 2. Lowly, humble, unassuming, shy, retiring (opp. elatus, lofty, proud): ea omnia, quae proborum, demissorum, non acrium sunt, valde benevolentiam conciliant, Cic. de Or. 2, 43, 182; cf.: multum demissus homo, Hor. S. 1, 3, 57: sit apud vos modestiae locus, sit demissis hominibus perfugium, sit auxilium pudori, Cic. Mur. 40, 87.
      3. 3. Rarely of external condition, humble, poor: qui demissi in obscuro vitam habent (opp. qui magno imperio praediti in excelso aetatem habent), Sall. C. 51, 12.
      4. 4. Poet., and in Tacitus, of genealogical descent, descended, derived, sprung: ab alto Demissum genus Aenea, Hor. S. 2, 5, 63; so Verg. G. 3, 35: id. A. 1, 288; Stat. Th. 2, 613; Tac. A. 12, 58.
        Sup. does not occur.
        Adv.: dēmisse.
      1. 1. Lit., low: hic alte, demissius ille volabat, Ov. Tr. 3, 4, 23.
      2. 2. Trop., humbly, modestly, abjectly, meanly: non est ausus elate et ample loqui, cum humiliter demisseque sentiret, Cic. Tusc. 5, 9, 24: suppliciter demisseque respondere, id. Fl. 10, 21: se tueri, id. Att. 2, 18, 3.
        Sup.: haec quam potest demississime atque subjectissime exponit, * Caes. B. C. 1, 84 fin.