Dictionary

surge en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /sɜːd͡ʒ/ (UK)
• /sɝd͡ʒ/ (US)
• sûrj (US)

Etymology

The verb is from Middle English ^((please verify)) surgen, possibly from Middle French sourgir, from Old French surgir (“to rise, ride near the shore, arrive, land”), from Old Catalan surgir, from Latin surgō, contraction of surrigō, subrigō (“lift up, raise, erect; intransitive rise, arise, get up, spring up, grow, etc.”, transitive verb), from sub (“from below; up”) + regō (“to stretch”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₃réǵeti (“to straighten; right”), from the root *h₃reǵ-; see regent. Doublet of source and sourd. The noun is from the verb.

Meanings

1. A sudden transient rush, flood or increase.
   • He felt a surge of excitement.
   • As President Obama turns his attention once again to filling out a cabinet and writing an Inaugural Address, this much is clear: he should not expect to bask in a surge of national unity, or to witness a crowd of millions overrun the Mall just to say they were there. 2012 November 7, Matt Bai, “Winning a Second Term, Obama Will Confront Familiar Headwinds”, in New York Times:
2. The maximum amplitude of a vehicle's forward/backward oscillation.
3. A sudden electrical spike or increase of voltage and current.
   • A power surge at that generator created a blackout across the whole district.
   • When the diesel was being worked full out, the ammeter normally showed about 1,500-1,600 amps, with occasional surges of current at starting or up the steepest gradients to 1,700 or even 1,800 amps. 1959 March, Cecil J. Allen, “Locomotive Running Past and Present”, in Trains Illustrated, page 132:
4. A momentary reversal of the airflow through the compressor section of a jet engine due to disruption of the airflow entering the engine's air intake, accompanied by loud banging noises, emission of flame, and temporary loss of thrust.
5. The swell or heave of the sea.
   • He that doubteth is like the surge of the sea driven by the wind and tossed. 1901, Bible (American Standard Version), James i. 6
   • He flies aloft, and, with impetuous roar, / Pursues the foaming surges to the shore. 1697, Virgil, “Georgics”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
6. (US, attributive, often) A deployment in large numbers at short notice.
   • surge capacity; surge fleet; surge deployment capabilities
7. The tapered part of a windlass barrel or a capstan, upon which the cable surges, or slips.

Forms

Deriveds

supersurge · postsurge · surgeproof · surgy · storm surge · microsurge · surge suppressor · surge protector · surge pricing · antisurge · surge testing · upsurge · surge tank · surgeless · countersurge · pyroclastic surge · presurge · surgeful · tidal surge

Synonyms

torrent · inrush

Translations (72)

ru прибо́й ((nautical) swell of the sea) · cs špička ((electricity) electrical spike) · fr afflux (sudden transient rush or flood) · cs náraz ((electricity) electrical spike) · sk nával (sudden transient rush or flood) · nl golf (sudden transient rush or flood) · sk príval (sudden transient rush or flood) · cs příval (sudden transient rush or flood) · fi ryntäys ((aviation) a momentary reversal of the airflow) · bg вълнение ((nautical) swell of the sea) · cs vzedmutí (sudden transient rush or flood) · sv överspänning ((electricity) electrical spike) · fr vague (sudden transient rush or flood) · mk наплив (sudden transient rush or flood) · fr surtension ((electricity) electrical spike) · fr houle ((nautical) swell of the sea) · pl napływ (sudden transient rush or flood) · ru волна́ ((nautical) swell of the sea) · cs poryv (sudden transient rush or flood) · cs vzedmutí ((nautical) swell of the sea) · fi aallokko ((nautical) swell of the sea) · bg скок в напрежението ((electricity) electrical spike) · it sovraccarico ((electricity) electrical spike) · sk príboj ((nautical) swell of the sea) · ga borradh cumhachta ((electricity) electrical spike) · mi tai reporepo (sudden transient rush or flood) · he גַּל נֵד ((nautical) swell of the sea) · fi aalto (sudden transient rush or flood) · izh höökö (sudden transient rush or flood) · it marea (sudden transient rush or flood) · pl przypływ (sudden transient rush or flood) · fr pompage ((aviation) a momentary reversal of the airflow) · es surgimiento ((electricity) electrical spike) · de Aufwallung (sudden transient rush or flood) · cs příval ((nautical) swell of the sea) · cs nápor (sudden transient rush or flood) · de Welle (sudden transient rush or flood) · ru всплеск (sudden transient rush or flood) · it ondata (sudden transient rush or flood) · es sobrecarga ((electricity) electrical spike) · es oleada ((nautical) swell of the sea) · pl skok napięcia ((electricity) electrical spike) · es oleada (sudden transient rush or flood) · ru скачо́к напряже́ния ((electricity) electrical spike) · nl stortzee (sudden transient rush or flood) · ga borradh ((nautical) swell of the sea) · de Brandung ((nautical) swell of the sea) · de Überspannung ((electricity) electrical spike) · sk špička ((electricity) electrical spike) · de Spannungsstoß ((electricity) electrical spike) · sk zdúvanie ((nautical) swell of the sea) · fi pumppaus ((aviation) a momentary reversal of the airflow) · af stuwing (sudden transient rush or flood) · hu túlfeszültség ((electricity) electrical spike) · fr montée (sudden transient rush or flood) · ga borradh ((electricity) electrical spike) · es surgimiento (sudden transient rush or flood) · fr poussée (sudden transient rush or flood) · es sobretensión ((electricity) electrical spike) · ga borradh leictreachais ((electricity) electrical spike) · bg нахлуване (sudden transient rush or flood) · ja サージ ((electricity) electrical spike) · fr surintensité ((electricity) electrical spike) · es aluvión (sudden transient rush or flood) · de Schwall (sudden transient rush or flood) · sk vlnobitie ((nautical) swell of the sea) · fi jännitepiikki ((electricity) electrical spike) · bg прилив (sudden transient rush or flood) · fi maininki ((nautical) swell of the sea) · pt surto (sudden transient rush or flood) · de Woge (sudden transient rush or flood) · ru волна́ (sudden transient rush or flood)

surge en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /sɜːd͡ʒ/ (UK)
• /sɝd͡ʒ/ (US)
• sûrj (US)

Etymology

The verb is from Middle English ^((please verify)) surgen, possibly from Middle French sourgir, from Old French surgir (“to rise, ride near the shore, arrive, land”), from Old Catalan surgir, from Latin surgō, contraction of surrigō, subrigō (“lift up, raise, erect; intransitive rise, arise, get up, spring up, grow, etc.”, transitive verb), from sub (“from below; up”) + regō (“to stretch”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₃réǵeti (“to straighten; right”), from the root *h₃reǵ-; see regent. Doublet of source and sourd. The noun is from the verb.

Meanings

1. (intransitive) To rush, flood, or increase suddenly.
   • Athletes' use of herbal supplements has skyrocketed in the past two decades. At the top of the list of popular herbs are echinacea and ginseng, whereas garlic, St. John's wort, soybean, ephedra and others are also surging in popularity or have been historically prevalent. 2013 March 14, David S. Senchina, “Athletics and Herbal Supplements”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 2, page 134:
   • Carried somehow, somewhither, for some reason, on these surging floods, were these travelers, of errand not wholly obvious to their fellows, yet of such sort as to call into query alike the nature of their errand and their own relations. 1910, Emerson Hough, chapter II, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
   • Toaster sales surged last year.
2. To accelerate forwards, particularly suddenly.
   • Wales began the second half as they ended the first, closing down Montenegro quickly and the pressure told as Bale surged into the box and pulled the ball back for skipper Ramsey, arriving on cue, to double their lead. 2011 September 2, “Wales 2-1 Montenegro”, in BBC:
   • A ship surges forwards, sways sideways and heaves up.
3. (intransitive, of a jet engine) To experience a momentary reversal of airflow through the compressor section due to disruption of intake airflow.
   • Use of maximum reverse thrust at low speeds can cause the engine to surge from ingesting its own exhaust.
4. (transitive) To slack off a line.

Forms

Deriveds

outsurge · unsurging · splurge · upsurge

Relateds

surgation · source

Translations (25)

bg бушувам (to rush, flood, or increase suddenly) · sk navaliť sa (to rush, flood, or increase suddenly) · cs vyřítit se (to accelerate forwards, particularly suddenly) · ota شیشمك (to rush, flood, or increase suddenly) · cs vyrazit (to accelerate forwards, particularly suddenly) · cs vyrážet (to accelerate forwards, particularly suddenly) · eo impeti (to rush, flood, or increase suddenly) · ru устреми́ться (to accelerate forwards, particularly suddenly) · cs vzedmout se (to rush, flood, or increase suddenly) · sk vyvaliť sa (to accelerate forwards, particularly suddenly) · gl xurdir (to accelerate forwards, particularly suddenly) · fi rynnätä (to accelerate forwards, particularly suddenly) · sk nahrnúť sa (to rush, flood, or increase suddenly) · bg надигам се (to rush, flood, or increase suddenly) · cs poskočit (to accelerate forwards, particularly suddenly) · es dispararse (to rush, flood, or increase suddenly) · fr déferler (to rush, flood, or increase suddenly) · de steil ansteigen (to rush, flood, or increase suddenly) · mi hotu (to rush, flood, or increase suddenly) · es surgir (to rush, flood, or increase suddenly) · fi paisua (to rush, flood, or increase suddenly) · mi pōrutu (to rush, flood, or increase suddenly) · sk vyrútiť sa (to accelerate forwards, particularly suddenly) · ota قبارمق (to rush, flood, or increase suddenly) · sk vyraziť (to accelerate forwards, particularly suddenly)

surge en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /sɜːd͡ʒ/ (UK)
• /sɝd͡ʒ/ (US)
• sûrj (US)

Etymology

From Middle English sourge, of uncertain origin. In the earliest examples, translating Old French sourgeon (modern French surgeon), from sourge- (which the Middle English term is probably from), the present stem of sourdre, from Latin surgō (“to rise”).

Meanings

1. (obsolete) A spring; a fountain.
   • 1523-1525, John Bourchier, 2nd Baron Berners, Froissart's Chronicles all great rivers are gorged and assembled of various surges and springs of water

Forms