super-, supra-, sur-

(Latin: above, over; more than, excessive)

Sur- is a variation of super- developed through the French and shouldn't be confused with another assimilated sur- form that comes from sub- and means: "under, below, beneath".

In some words, super- is amplified to mean: "on top of; higher in rank or position than; superior to; greater in quality, amount, or degree than others of its kind".

surnamer
1. Someone who names a person who has something in common with other family members, as distinguished from a Christian name; a family name.
2. Anyone who adds a person's name; such as, someone who indicates a circumstance of birth or some characteristic or achievement; an epithet.
surpass
1. To go beyond what was expected or hoped for, usually by being bigger, better, or greater.
2. To be bigger, greater, better, or worse than someone or something else.
3. To be beyond someone's ability to deal with or to understand.
surpassable (adjective), more surpassable, most surpassable
1. Capable of becoming better, greater, or stronger: Jack thought that the grades his older brother got in school were surpassable, so he did his best at studying and passing all the tests with excellent grades!
2. Possible of overstepping the range or limit or something: The contents of the German lessons were not surmountable for Jenny to understand because she didn't do her homework thoroughly and German is a tough language to learn!
3. Worthy of exceeding the capacity or powers of something: The only surpassable beauty of any mountain was the resplendence of the Rocky Mountains.
surpassingly
A description indicating someone having greatly exceeded others or having a very high degree of achievement over difficulties.
surpassingness
Eminently excellent; exceeding others.
surplice
A white ecclesiastical outer garment, like a smock, with wide, often flared sleeves, and varying in length and worn over other garments.
surplus
1. A quantity much larger than is needed.
2. Being more than, or in excess of, what is needed or required.
surplusage
1. A quantity much larger than is needed.
2. Redundant, or an excess of repetitive words, or arguments; verbiage.
surprint
1. Something added by overprinting.
2. To print (additional marks, a new address, etc.) over something already printed.
surprise (verb), surprises; surprised; surprising
1. To encounter suddenly or unexpectedly; to take or to catch unawares: Shirley's little boy was surprised when she caught him taking cookies from a container without her permission.
2. To cause people to feel wonder, astonishment, or amazement, as at something not anticipated or expected: David was surprised when he received a birthday call from a neighbor who had moved away years ago.
3. Etymology: "unexpected attack" or "capture", from Middle French surprise, "taking unawares" from the noun use of Old French surprendre, "to overtake"; from sur-, "over" + prendre, "to take"; from Latin prendere, contracted from prehendere "to grasp, to seize".
surprisedly
1. A description of something that surprises someone; such as, a completely unexpected occurrence, appearance, or statement: "His announcement surprisedly caught people off guard."
2. Characterized as an assault, as on an army or a fort, made without warning.
3. Relating to coming upon unexpectedly; detecting in the act; taking unawares.
surpriser (s) (noun), surprisers (pl)
Anyone who takes another person or people into custody unexpectedly: The police are often considered to be surprisers when they find and capture criminals who are also surprisers when they commit their illegal acts.
surreal (suh REE uhl) (adjective), more surreal, most surreal
Relating to a dream, strange, conveying an unrealistic situation: Joe felt he was experiencing a surreal experience while he was walking home in total darkness.
surrealism (s) (suh REE uh liz" uhm) (noun), surrealisms (pl)
1. An early 20th-century movement in art and literature that tried to represent the subconscious mind by creating fantastic imagery by emphasizing imaginative powers including concepts that seem to contradict each other: Surrealism is used for the fine arts and written works in which unusual or impossible things are revealed as they happen.

One of the primary objectives of surrealism is to go beyond the ordinary processes of thinking and logic by existing in a mental world and in dreams.

2. Etymology: from French surréalisme; from Latin sur-, "above, beyond" + réalisme, "realism".

Created in 1917 by Guillaume Apollinaire, and then taken over by Andre Breton as the name of the movement he launched in 1924 with Manifeste de Surréalisme.

Art that is meant to express subconscious images with no normal order or sequence.
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surrealist (s) (noun), surrealists (pl)

Related "above, over, beyond the normal, excessive" word units: epi-; hyper-; ultra-, ult-.

Inter-related cross references, directly or indirectly, involving word units meaning "more, plentiful, fullness, excessive, over flowing": copi-; exuber-; hyper-; multi-; opulen-; ple-; pleio-; plethor-; poly-; total-; ultra-; undu-.