submersible

American  

[suhb-mur-suh-buhl] / səbˈmɜr sə bəl /

adjective

1. capable of being submersed. submersed.

2. capable of functioning while submersed: submersed.

   a submersible pump.

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noun

1. a ship capable of submerging and operating under water; submarine.

2. a device designed for underwater work or exploration, as a bathyscaphe or diving bell.

submersible British  

/ səbˈmɜːdʒɪbəl, səbˈmɜːsəbəl /

adjective

1. able to be submerged

2. capable of operating under water, etc

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noun

1. a vessel designed to operate under water for short periods

2. a submarine taking one or more men that is designed and equipped to carry out work in deep water below the levels at which divers can work

Other Word Forms

• nonsubmersible adjective
• submersibility noun
• unsubmersible adjective

Etymology

Origin of submersible

First recorded in 1865–70; submerse + -ible

Example Sentences

Its two submersibles have everything from hydraulic collection arms and suction tubes to high-definition cameras, allowing them to uncover the improbable life found in some of the harshest conditions on Earth.

From Barron's

“They live in a place that, for the most part, is inaccessible, except for people who have submersibles or remotely operated vehicles,” Robison said in a phone call.

From Los Angeles Times

He is excited, for example, about a future where we “go full James Cameron” and send an autonomous submersible down into the sea of Europa, one of Jupiter’s nearly 100 moons.

From The Wall Street Journal

When she hits, she’s hilarious: An extended bit about leaving a puddle of her perspiration on a piece of gym equipment involves James Cameron developing a submersible to get to the bottom of it.

From The Wall Street Journal

Earlier this year, China proudly unveiled a submersible that can cut armored cables at a depth of 13,000 feet.

From The Wall Street Journal