a. (sb.) Obs. rare. [ad. L. succumbens, -entem, pr. pple. of succumbĕre to SUCCUMB. In sense 1 after It. soccombente.]
A. adj. 1. Subject, submissive to.
c. 1645. Howell, Lett., II. ix. (1890), 387. Christianity … makes not Sense so much subject to Reason, as Reason succumbent to Faith. Ibid. (1660), Parly of Beasts, 2. Queen Morphandra … useth to make Nature her self not only succumbent and passive to her desires, but [etc.].
2. Underlying.
1664. Power, Exp. Philos., II. 114. Water, by its weight onely, and no innate Elatery, did depel the Succumbent Quicksilver in the Tube.
3. Succumbing.
1812. J. J. Henry, Camp. agst. Quebec, 81. The humanity of Morgan and Humphreys, towards a succumbent foe.
B. sb. (See quot. 1661 and KNEELER 2 a.)
1661. Blount, Glossogr. (ed. 2), Succumbents,… antiently it signified those penitents or excommunicate persons that fell down on their knees and prayed in a certain place behind the Quire or Pulpit.
1850. Neale, Hist. East. Ch., Introd. I. I. 210. The Succumbentes were passing the silver gates on their way out.]
