submersible

[suhb-mur-suh-buhl]

adjective

1. capable of being submersed. submersed.

2. capable of functioning while submersed: submersed.

   a submersible pump.

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

/ səbˈmɜːdʒɪbəl, səbˈmɜːsəbəl /

adjective

1. able to be submerged

2. capable of operating under water, etc

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

• submersibility noun
• nonsubmersible adjective
• unsubmersible adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of submersible¹

First recorded in 1865–70; submerse + -ible

Example Sentences

A crane able to lift 50 tonnes loads various things, from submersible robots to so-called CTD instruments measuring electrical conductivity, temperature and seawater pressure.

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When the Titan submersible went missing during a dive to the wreck of the Titanic in 2023, David Lochridge hoped the five people on board – including his former boss - could be rescued.

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The US Coast Guard has determined the implosion of OceanGate's Titan submersible that killed all five people on board was "preventable", citing the company's "critically flawed" safety practices.

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Although it was accepted among marine scientists that there would be life at these depths, scientists on this mission say the abundance of animals they saw from the windows of their submersible was "amazing".

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The diving team was then replaced by remote-controlled submersibles for safety, delaying the process.

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