<B>Surgeon General,</B> pl. <B>Surgeons General.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the chief medical officer of the United States Public Health Service (formerly the Bureau of Public Health). (Abbr:) Surg. Gen. </DL>
<A NAME="surgeonsknot">
<B>surgeon's knot,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> any one of various knots used bysurgeons in tying ligatures and bandages. </DL>
<A NAME="surgery">
<B>surgery, </B>noun, pl. <B>-geries.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the art and science of treating diseases, injuries, or deformities by operations and instruments. <BR> <I>Ex. Malaria can be cured by medicine, but a ruptured appendix requires surgery.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>the operating room or other area where surgical operations are performed. <DD><B> 3. </B>the work performed by a surgeon. <DD><B> 4. </B>(Figurative:) <BR> <I>Ex. to save a tree by skillful surgery. Nonconformity had entered far too deeply into the nation's life to be eradicated by the severest surgery of law (H. W. Clark).</I> <DD><B> 5. </B>(British.) the office of a doctor or dentist. </DL>
<B>surgical, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>of surgery; having something to do with surgery. <BR> <I>Ex. a surgical patient, surgical experience.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>used in surgery. <BR> <I>Ex. Surgical gloves, should, of course, present an impermeable barrier to bacteria on the skin (New Scientist).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>performed by a surgeon. <DD><B> 4. </B>following or resulting from an operation or other treatment by a surgeon. <BR> <I>Ex. surgical fever.</I> adv. <B>surgically.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="surgicalstrike">
<B>surgical strike,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>an attack, especially by aircraft, against a specific target to eliminate it without causing much damage to the surrounding area. <BR> <I>Ex. And quick, it was understood, would mean clean--a fact conveyed in the constant bandying-about of "clean sweep," "precision bombing," and "surgical strikes" (Washington Monthly).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>an advertisement, press release, speech, or public statement that is directed against a specific person, problem, or point of view, as in a political campaign. <BR> <I>Ex. Victory requires blowing the current campaign dynamic across the board; surgical strikes won't do (Michael Kramer).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="surgy">
<B>surgy, </B>adjective, <B>surgier,</B> <B>surgiest.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>surging; swelling; billowy. <DD><B> 2. </B>produced by surges. <BR> <I>Ex. The surgy murmurs of the lonely sea (Keats).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="suricat">
<B>suricat, </B>noun. =suricate.</DL>
<A NAME="suricate">
<B>suricate, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a small, burrowing, carnivorous mammal of the civet family, found in South Africa. </DL>
<A NAME="surinamtoad">
<B>Surinam toad,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> an aquatic toad of northern South America, notable for the manner in which the eggs, distributed by the male over the back of the female, are retained there, in cells of the skin which form about them, until fully developed into young. </DL>
<A NAME="surlily">
<B>surlily, </B>adverb.<DL COMPACT><DD> in a surly manner; crabbedly; morosely. </DL>
<B>surly, </B>adjective, <B>-lier,</B> <B>-liest.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>bad-tempered and unfriendly; rude; gruff. <BR> <I>Ex. The grouchy old man grumbled a surly reply.</I> (SYN) sullen, churlish, cross. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Obsolete.) haughty; arrogant. <BR> <I>Ex. Be opposite with a kinsman; surly with servants (Shakespeare).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="surmise">
<B>surmise, </B>verb, <B>-mised,</B> <B>-mising,</B> noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.t., v.i. </I> to infer; guess. <BR> <I>Ex. We surmised that the traffic delay was caused by some accident on the highway.</I> (SYN) suppose. <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>the formation of an idea with little or no evidence; guessing. <BR> <I>Ex. His guilt was a matter of surmise; there was no proof.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>a conjecture; guess. <BR> <I>Ex. a shrewd surmise. To trust the soul's invincible surmise (George Santayana).</I> noun <B>surmiser.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="surmount">
<B>surmount, </B>transitive verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>to rise above; surpass in height; be higher than; overtop. <BR> <I>Ex. Mount Rainier surmounts all the peaks near it.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to be situated above; rest on top of; top; crown. <BR> <I>Ex. a steeple surmounting a church.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>to go up and across; get over. <BR> <I>Ex. to surmount a hill.</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>to prevail over; get the better of; overcome. <BR> <I>Ex. Lincoln surmounted many difficulties before he rose to be President.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="surmountable">
<B>surmountable, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> that can be surmounted. </DL>
<A NAME="surmullet">
<B>surmullet, </B>noun. =red mullet.</DL>
<A NAME="surname">
<B>surname, </B>noun, verb, <B>-named,</B> <B>-naming.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a last name; family name. A person shares his surname with all the other members of his immediate family, and he is identified by it as belonging to a particular family group. In the English-speaking world a surname usually derives from one's father and is one's last name. <BR> <I>Ex. Smith is the surname of John Smith.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>a name added to a person's real name, especially one derived from the place of birth or from some outstanding quality, achievement, or other distinguishing feature; epithet. (Examples:) Francis (<I>of Assisi</I>), Ivan (<I>the Terrible</I>), William (<I>the Conqueror</I>). <DD><I>v.t. </I> to give a surname to; call or identify by a surname. <BR> <I>Ex. Simon was surnamed Peter.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="surnominal">
<B>surnominal, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or having to do with surnames. </DL>
<A NAME="surpass">
<B>surpass, </B>transitive verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>to do more or better than; be greater than; excel. <BR> <I>Ex. She surpasses her sister in arithmetic. His work surpassed expectations. The sense of accomplishment I felt in actually aiding birth surpassed any feeling I'd had before (Parents' Magazine).</I> (SYN) outdo, outstrip, outrun, eclipse. <DD><B> 2. </B>to be too much or too great for; go beyond; transcend; exceed. <BR> <I>Ex. The horrors of the battlefield surpassed description.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="surpassable">
<B>surpassable, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> that can be surpassed. </DL>
<A NAME="surpassing">
<B>surpassing, </B>adjective, adverb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> greatly exceeding or excelling others; of the highest degree or quality. <BR> <I>Ex. Helen of Troy was a surpassing beauty.</I> <DD><I>adv. </I> (Poetic.) in a surpassing degree; exceedingly. <BR> <I>Ex. a gracious damsel and surpassing fair.</I> adv. <B>surpassingly.</B> noun <B>surpassingness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="surplice">
<B>surplice, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a broad-sleeved, white gown worn by clergymen and choir singers over their other clothes. <DD><B> 2. </B>an arrangement of folds on a blouse or the bodice of a dress that cross one another from the waist up to the opposite shoulder. </DL>
<B>surplus, </B>noun, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>an amount over and above what is needed; extra quantity left over; excess. <BR> <I>Ex. The bank keeps a large surplus of money in reserve.</I> (SYN) residue, remainder. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Accounting.) <DD><B> a. </B>an excess of assets over liabilities. <DD><B> b. </B>an excess of assets over dividends, interest, and other fixed charges within some given period of time. <DD><I>adj. </I> more than is needed; extra; excess. <BR> <I>Ex. Surplus wheat is put in storage and shipped abroad.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="surplusage">
<B>surplusage, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a surplus; excess. <DD><B> 2. </B>an excess of words; unnecessary words. <DD><B> 3. </B>(Law.) nonessential or irrelevant material in a pleading or plea. </DL>
<A NAME="surplusvalue">
<B>surplus value,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Economics.) the greater value or profit which, according to Marxian theory, an employer obtains from the services of a worker in relation to the amount he pays the worker for his services. </DL>
<A NAME="surprint">
<B>surprint, </B>verb, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to print over (something already printed) with new matter. <DD><B> 2. </B>to print (new matter) over something already printed. <DD><I>noun </I> surprinted matter. </DL>
<A NAME="surprisal">
<B>surprisal, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the act of surprising or state of beingsurprised; surprise. </DL>
<A NAME="surprise">
<B>surprise, </B>noun, verb, <B>-prised,</B> <B>-prising,</B> adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>the feeling caused by something happening suddenly or unexpectedly; astonishment; wonder; amazement. <BR> <I>Ex. His face showed surprise at the news.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>anything which causes this feeling; something unexpected. <BR> <I>Ex. Mother always has a surprise for the children on holidays. Life is a series of surprises (Emerson).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>the act of coming upon suddenly and without warning; catching unprepared. <BR> <I>Ex. The fort was captured by surprise.</I> <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to cause to feel surprise; astonish. <BR> <I>Ex. The victory surprised us.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to come upon suddenly; take unawares; take or catch in the act. <DD><B> 3. </B>to attack suddenly and without warning; catch unprepared; make an unexpected assault upon (as an unprepared place, army, or person). <BR> <I>Ex. Our army surprised the enemy while they were sleeping.</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>to betray (into doing something not intended); lead or bring (a person, etc.) unawares. <BR> <I>Ex. The news surprised her into tears.</I> <DD><B> 5. </B>(Figurative.) to find or discover (something) by a sudden or unexpected question, attack, or other maneuver; detect or elicit. <BR> <I>Ex. to surprise the truth of the matter from him.</I> <DD><B> 6. </B>(Obsolete.) to capture by an unexpected assault or attack. <DD><I>adj. </I> that is not expected; coming as a surprise; surprising. <BR> <I>Ex. a surprise party, a surprise visit.</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>take by surprise,</B> <DD><B> a. </B>to come upon suddenly and unexpectedly; catch unprepared. </I> <I>Ex. That he was taken by surprise is true. But he had twelve hours to make his arrangements (Macaulay).</I> <DD><B> b. </B>to astonish because unexpected; amaze. <BR> <I>Ex. This statement... took me by surprise (John Tyndall).</I> </DL>
