[ad. L. subsīdĕre, f. sub- SUB- 2 + sīdĕre to sit down.]
1. intr. To sink down, fall to the bottom, precipitate. Also with down.
1681. trans. Willis’ Rem. Med. Wks., Vocab., Subside, to sink down, or fall to the bottom.
1696. Whiston, Th. Earth, III. (1722), 278. Their Shells were buried among the other Bodies or Masses which subsided down.
1721. Bradley, Philos. Acc. Wks. Nat., 9. Bodies of no more weight than Shells, or Teeth of Fishes, would subside themselves down to the bottom.
1765. Museum Rust., IV. 98. Chalk laid on clay will, we know, subside.
1857. Miller, Elem. Chem., Org. (1862), ii. § 1. 80. The precipitate is allowed to subside.
1877. Huxley, Physiogr., 133. The gravel is the first to fall; then the sand subsides, and finally the mud settles down.
2. To sink to a low or lower level, esp. of liquids or soil sinking to the normal level; (of valleys) to form a depression; (of a swelling or something inflated) to be reduced so as to become flat.
1706. Phillips (ed. Kersey), s.v., The Streams Subside from their Banks.
1729. T. Cooke, Tales, etc. 46. Where shady Mountains rise, and Vales subside.
1731. Arbuthnot, Aliments, II. ii. (1735), 28. Small Air-Bladders … capable to be inflated by the Admission of Air, and to subside at the Expulsion of it.
1765. A. Dickson, Treat. Agric. (ed. 2), 151. When the earth hath fully subsided, and become firm and solid [etc.].
1796. Morse, Amer. Geog., I. 609. The mountains converge into a single ridge, which … subsides into plain country.
1816. J. Smith, Panorama Sci. & Art, II. 76. On pouring a quantity of water into one limb, the water will rise in the other, and when left undisturbed, will subside at an equal height in both.
1817. Shelley, Rev. Islam, VII. xxvii. The Eagle … The eager plumes subsided on his throat.
1844. H. Stephens, Bk. Farm, I. 513. A little [earth] is left elevated immediately over the drain, to subside to the usual level of the ground.
1863. Lyell, Antiq. Man, 34. The waters of the Nile had subsided.
1885. Law Rep., 10 Prob. Div. 87. A small blister, which subsided in a day or two.
b. Of a mass of earth, etc.: To fall or give way as the result of dynamic disturbance, etc.
1773. Cook’s Voy., II. xiv. (1842), I. 329. A large tract of country, of which it was part, subsided by some convulsion of nature.
1840. Lyell, Princ. Geol., III. xvi. (ed. 6), III. 345. Buildings which have at different times subsided beneath the level of the sea.
1879. A. R. Wallace’s Australasia, i. 11. The bottom of the ocean is itself even now subsiding more and more.
1884. Pall Mall Gaz., 29 July, 5/1. We suspect that when the great basin of Taupo comes to be explored by the sounding lead, an extinct volcano, crater and all, will be found subsided in its midst.
c. Of persons: To sink down into or on to a chair, etc.
1879. F. W. Robinson, Coward Consc., I. vi. She subsided into the easy-chair.
1888. ‘J. S. Winter,’ Bootle’s Childr., ix. The subject of the joke subsided on to a chair where she sat giggling.
3. Of the sea, wind, storm: To sink to rest, abate.
a. 1721. Prior, Tale from Boccace, 55, Wks. 1907, II. 343. Not Waves and winds Subside more sudden.
1740. Pitt, Æneid, VII. 9. The Sea subsiding, and the Tempests o’er.
1839. Thirlwall, Greece, xlix. VI. 168. The wind had already subsided.
1878. Browning, La Saisiaz, 54. Beneath where … soft the tree-top swell subsides.
4. Of strong feeling, excitement, clamor, and the like: To cease from agitation, fall into a state of quiet or of less violence or activity.
a. 1700. Evelyn, Diary, Sept. 1644. Our desire of revenge had by this time subsided.
1772. Toplady, in R. Palmer, Bk. Praise (1866), 436. Soon shall our doubts and fears Subside at His control.
1778. Miss Burney, Evelina, xxxiii. (1791), I. 177. Her anger now subsiding into grief.
1783. Crabbe, Village, II. 183. Cease then that grief, and let those tears subside.
1824. Scott, St. Ronan’s, iv. The clamour which attends the removal of dinner from a public room had subsided.
1855. Poultry Chron., III. 170. Buying and selling fowls has subsided from an excitement to a natural business transaction.
1863. Geo. Eliot, Romola, xxix. They parted with softening, dropping voices, subsiding into silence.
1892. ‘F. Anstey,’ Voces Pop., Ser. II. 156. The hubbub gradually subsides.
b. of a condition: To die down, pass away, wear off. Of an action: To be discontinued.
1751. Chesterf., Lett., cclviii. Your fencing likewise … may subside for the summer.
1762. T. Mortimer, Ev. Man own Broker (ed. 5), 20. The probability of the premium (given on any Stock) totally subsiding.
1780. in Lett. Earl Malmesbury (1870), I. 460. I shall go when the novelty is a little subsided.
1813. Shelley, Q. Mab, III. 60. Too soon The slumber of intemperance subsides.
5. Of persons: To fall into an inactive or less active or efficient state.
1728. Young, Love of Fame, VII. 196. His swelling soul subsides to native peace.
1847. Mrs. Gore, Castles in Air, xix. I am not sure but I would rather live in the King’s Bench … than subside into a country Squire.
1865. Dickens, Mut. Fr., III. xv. ‘That was well done!’ panted Bella, slackening in the next street, and subsiding into a walk.
1885. Manch. Exam., 22 June, 5/3. After a very promising career … he has subsided into a quiet and indifferent attitude.
b. To cease from activity; esp. to lapse into silence.
1871. Cincinnati Comm., April (Schele de Vere, Americanisms, 638). Thereupon the doughty General subsided, but it would be a great mistake to suppose that he will remain silent.
1880. Daily News, 1 July, 5/5. Being told he must keep quiet or be arrested he subsided.
6. To be merged in; to pass into. rare.
1781. Simes, Milit. Guide (ed. 3), 4. Politeness should exceed authority, and the Officer subside in the gentleman.
1862. Stanley, Jew. Ch., I. xii. 267. The old life was never entirely to subside into the new.
† 7. trans. To cause to sink in. Obs. rare.
1650. Bulwer, Anthropomet., 75. The roots of that prominencie which subsides the apple of the eye.
