dē-mĕrĕo, ŭi, ĭtum, 2, v. a.
I With acc. rei, to merit, deserve a thing (ante-and post-class., and very rare): aliquid mercedis domino, Plaut. Ps. 4, 7, 90: grandem pecuniam, Gell. 1, 8, 3: demeritae laetitiae, Plaut. Ps. 2, 4, 14.—
II (Since the Aug. per.) With acc. pers., to deserve well of, to oblige : avunculum magnopere, Suet. Aug. 8: nec tibi sit servos demeruisse pudor, Ov. A. A. 2, 252: crimine te potui demeruisse meo, id. Her. 2, 28: matrona amoenitate aliqua demerenda erit, Col. 1, 4, 8. In this signif. usually in the deponent form, dēmĕrĕor (not ante-Aug.): ut pleniori obsequio demererer amantissimos meos, Quint. prooem. § 3; so, Pompeium et Caesarem, quorum nemo alterum offendere audebat, nisi ut alterum demereretur, simul provocavit, lay under obligation , Sen. Ep. 104, 33; id. Ben. 1, 2, 5: demerendi beneficio tam potentem civitatem occasio, Liv. 3, 18: in Regulo demerendo, Plin. Ep. 4, 2, 4; Suet. Vit. 2; id. Oth. 4; Quint. 9, 2, 29; Tac. A. 15, 21 al.