super-, supra-, sur- +
(Latin: above, over, more than; excessive)
Sur- is a form of super- formed 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; to a degree greater than others of its kind; to a degree greater than normal; extra, additional".
supernaturally
1. Descriptive of that which pertains to entities, events, or powers regarded as beyond nature, in that they cannot be explained by the laws of the natural world.
2. Relating to that which departs from what is considered usual or normal; especially, so as to appear to transcend the laws of nature; attributed to an invisible agent; such as, a ghost or spirit.
supernormal
1. Greatly exceeding the normal or average but still obeying natural laws.
2. Paranormal; beyond the range of the normal human powers or scientifically explainable; supranormal.
3. Exceeding the normal or average.
supernova
1. The explosion of a star, possibly caused by gravitational collapse, during which the star's luminosity increases by as much as twenty magnitudes and most of the star's mass is blown away at very high velocity, sometimes leaving behind an extremely dense core.
2. A rare celestial phenomenon involving the explosion of most of the material in a star, resulting in an extremely bright, short-lived object that emits vast amounts of energy.
supernumerary
1. Being in excess of the usual, proper, or prescribed number; additional; extra.
2. Associated with a regular body or staff as an assistant or substitute in case of necessity.
3. Exceeding the required or desired number or amount; superfluous.
4. A person who appears in a play or film without speaking lines or as part of a crowd; walk-on; extra.
superovulation
1. The production of mature ova at an accelerated rate or in a large number at one time.
2. The stimulation of multiple ovulations with fertility drugs.
3. Extraordinary acceleration of ovulation, producing a greater than normal number of ova, usually as a result of the administration of exogenous gonadotropins.
4. Stimulation of multiple ovulation with fertility drugs; also known as controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH).
superparasite, superparasitism
Infestation of parasites by other parasites; that is, parasites on other parasites.
superphysical
1. Above or beyond what is physical; hyperphysical.
2. Exceeding or going beyond the purely physical.
3. Not explained by known physical laws; preternatural or supernatural.
superpower
1. An extremely powerful nation; especially, one capable of influencing international events and the acts and policies of less powerful nations.
2. Power greater in scope or magnitude than that which is considered natural or has previously existed.
3. Power; especially, mechanical or electric power, on an extremely large scale secured by the linking together of a number of separate power systems, with a view to more efficient and economical generation and distribution.
supersaturate
1. To cause (a chemical solution) to be more highly concentrated than is normally possible under given conditions of temperature and pressure.
2. To cause (a vapor) to exceed the normal saturation vapor pressure at a given temperature.
supersaturation
1. The production of a solution, usually by evaporation of a solvent; which is more concentrated than one in equilibrium with pure solute.
2. An amount of a substance greater than that required for saturation as a result of having been cooled from a higher temperature to a temperature below that at which saturation occurs.
superscribe
1. To write (words, letters, one's name, address, etc.) above or on something; such as, to superscribe one's name and address on an envelope.
2. To inscribe or mark with writing at the top or on the outside or surface of; put an inscription above or on: "The author was busy trying to superscribe the cover of a text with corrections."
superscript
To write or print something such as a name or address above, outside, or on the surface of something else.
A superscript is a number, figure, or symbol that appears above the normal line of type, at the right or left of another symbol or text.
Superscripts are often used, with various meanings, in formulas, mathematical expressions, or descriptions of chemical compounds and isotopes.
Superscripts can also be used to indicate the presence of a footnote in a document. Some people even submit ordinal endings for numbers which are written as superscripts; such as, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc.; instead of, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th.
superscription
1. Something that is written, printed, or engraved above, outside, or on the surface of something else.
2. In pharmacy, the sign (symbol) Rx, meaning "recipe" ("take”), at the beginning of a prescription.
supersede
1. To replace in power, authority, effectiveness, acceptance, use, etc., as by another person or thing.
2. To set aside or to cause to be set aside as void, useless, or obsolete, usually in favor of something else; to make obsolete: "They superseded the old car with a new one."
3. To succeed to the position, function, office, etc., of; to supplant.
4. To cause to be set aside; especially, to displace someone or something as inferior or antiquated.
Literally, "to sit over or above" or "to sit on top of" something.
superseding
Taking the place of (something); especially, because it is considered old or not good enough: "No sooner do you buy a computer than they bring out a new one that is superseding it."
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-.
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