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.).
I Lit.
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, Front. 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.—
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, 74; 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.—
B Esp., milit. t. t.
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, Front. 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 Arma demittere, in making a military salute : armis demissis salutationem more militari faciunt, with grounded arms , Auct. B. Afr. 85, 6. —
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.
VIII —Hence, dēmissus , a, um, P. a., brought down, lowered .
A Lit.
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 Of other things, drooping, falling, hanging down : demissis umeris esse, Ter. Eun. 313 Ruhnk.: tremulus, labiis demissis, with flabby lips , id. ib. 336: 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. —
B Trop.
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 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 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 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 Lit., low : hic alte, demissius ille volabat, Ov. Tr. 3, 4, 23.—
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.