immerse
UK[ɪˈmɜːs]US[ɪˈmɜːrs]
v
to put someone or something completely into a liquid so that they are covered by it.
v
to involve oneself deeply in a particular activity or interest.
Morpheme Breakdown
im
merse
im
in
merse
dip
Etymology
the word 'immerse' entered english in the early 17th century, derived from the latin verb 'immersus', the past participle of 'immergere'. this latin verb is a compound of the prefix 'in-' (meaning 'into') and the verb 'mergere' (meaning 'to dip, plunge, or sink'). the root 'mergere' itself can be traced back to the proto-indo-european root mezg-, meaning 'to dip, plunge'. the literal sense of plunging something into a liquid evolved logically into the modern figurative meaning of involving oneself deeply in an activity, capturing the idea of being completely surrounded or enveloped by it.
Analysis
Structure: im (in) + merse (dip)
im- (latin origin, a prefix meaning 'in', 'into', or 'within'), merse (latin origin, from the root 'mersus', meaning 'dipped' or 'plunged').
Examples
immerse the vegetables in boiling water for two minutes.
she immersed herself in her studies to prepare for the final exams.
the virtual reality game is designed to fully immerse the player in a fantasy world.