Superficies Su`per·fi"cies noun [ Latin , from super above, over + facies make, figure, shape. See Surface .] 1. The surface; the exterior part, superficial area, or face of a thing.

2. (Civil Law) (a) Everything on the surface of a piece of ground, or of a building, so closely connected by art or nature as to constitute a part of it, as houses, or other superstructures, fences, trees, vines, etc. (b) A real right consisting of a grant by a landed proprietor of a piece of ground, bearing a strong resemblance to the long building leases granted by landholders in England, in consideration of a rent, and under reservation of the ownership of the soil. Bouvier. Wharton.

Superfine Su"per·fine adjective 1. Very fine, or most fine; being of surpassing fineness; of extra nice or fine quality; as, superfine cloth.

2. Excessively fine; too nice; over particular; as, superfine distinctions; superfine tastes.

Superfineness Su"per·fine`ness noun The state of being superfine.

Superfinical Su`per·fin"i·cal adjective Extremely finical.

Superfluence Su·per"flu·ence noun [ Latin superfluens , present participle of superfluere to flow or run over. See Superfluous .] Superfluity. [ Obsolete] Hammond.

Superfluitant Su`per·flu"i·tant adjective [ Latin super above + fluitans , present participle of fluitare intensive from fluere to flow.] Floating above or on the surface. [ Obsolete] Sir T. Browne. -- Su`per*flu"i*tance noun [ Obsolete]

Superfluity Su`per·flu"i·ty noun ; plural Superfluities . [ Latin superfluité , Latin superfluitas . See Superfluous .] 1. A greater quantity than is wanted; superabundance; as, a superfluity of water; a superfluity of wealth.

A quiet mediocrity is still to be preferred before a troubled superfluity .

Suckling.

2. The state or quality of being superfluous; excess. "By a superfluity abominable." Chaucer.

3. Something beyond what is needed; something which serves for show or luxury.

Syn. -- Superabundance; excess; redundancy.

Superfluous Su·per"flu·ous adjective [ Latin superfluus overflowing; super over, above + fluere to flow. See Super- , and Fluent .] More than is wanted or is sufficient; rendered unnecessary by superabundance; unnecessary; useless; excessive; as, a superfluous price. Shak.

An authority which makes all further argument or illustration superfluous .

E. Everett.

Superfluous interval (Mus.) , an interval that exceeds a major or perfect interval by a semitone.

Syn. -- Unnecessary; useless; exuberant; excessive; redundant; needless.

-- Su*per"flu*ous*ly , adverb -- Su*per"flu*ous*ness , noun

Superflux Su"per·flux noun Superabundance; superfluity; an overflowing. [ R.] Shak.

Superfoliation Su`per·fo`li·a"tion noun Excess of foliation. Sir T. Browne.

Superfrontal Su`per·fron"tal noun (Eccl.) A cloth which is placed over the top of an altar, and often hangs down a few inches over the frontal.

Superfuse Su`per·fuse" adjective To pour (something) over or on something else. [ Obsolete] Evelyn.

Superheat Su`per·heat" transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Superheated ; present participle & verbal noun Superheating .] 1. To heat too much, to overheat; as, to superheat an oven.

2. (Steam Engine) To heat, as steam, apart from contact with water, until it resembles a perfect gas.

Superheat Su"per·heat` noun The increase of temperature communicated to steam by superheating it.

Superheat Su`per·heat" transitive verb To heat a liquid above its boiling point without converting it into vapor.

Superheater Su"per·heat`er noun (Steam Engine) An apparatus for superheating steam.

Superhive Su"per·hive` noun A removable upper part of a hive. The word is sometimes contracted to super .

Superhuman Su`per·hu"man adjective Above or beyond what is human; sometimes, divine; as, superhuman strength; superhuman wisdom.

Superimpose Su`per·im·pose" transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Superimposed ; present participle & verbal noun Superimposing .] To lay or impose on something else; as, a stratum of earth superimposed on another stratum. -- Su`per*im`po*si"tion noun

Superimpregnation Su`per·im`preg·na"tion noun The act of impregnating, or the state of being impregnated, in addition to a prior impregnation; superfetation.

Superincumbence, Superincumbency Su`per·in·cum"bence, Su`per·in·cum"ben·cy noun The quality or state of being superincumbent.

Superincumbent Su`per·in·cum"bent adjective [ Latin superincumbens , present participle of superincumbere . See Super- , and Incumbent .] Lying or resting on something else.

Superinduce Su`per·in·duce" transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Superinduced ; present participle & verbal noun Superinducing .] [ Prefix super- + induce : confer Latin superinducere to draw over.] To bring in, or upon, as an addition to something.

Long custom of sinning superinduces upon the soul new and absurd desires.

South.

Superinducement Su`per·in·duce"ment noun Superinduction.

Superinduction Su`per·in·duc"tion noun The act of superinducing, or the state of being superinduced. South.

Superinfuse Su`per·in·fuse" transitive verb [ Prefix super- + infuse : confer Latin superinfundere , superinfusum , to pour over.] To infuse over. [ R.]

Superinjection Su`per·in·jec"tion noun An injection succeeding another.

Superinspect Su`per·in·spect" transitive verb [ Prefix super- + inspect : confer Latin superinspicere , superinspectum .] To over see; to superintend by inspection. [ R.] Maydman.

Superinstitution Su`per·in`sti·tu"tion noun One institution upon another, as when A is instituted and admitted to a benefice upon a title, and B instituted and admitted upon the presentation of another. Bailey.

Superintellectual Su`per·in`tel·lec"tu·al adjective Being above intellect.

Superintend Su`per·in·tend" transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Superintended ; present participle & verbal noun Superintending .] [ Latin superintendere . See Super- , and Intend .] To have or exercise the charge and oversight of; to oversee with the power of direction; to take care of with authority; to supervise; as, an officer superintends the building of a ship or the construction of a fort.

The king may appoint a council, who may superintend the works of this nature.

Bacon.

Syn. -- Superintend , Supervise . These words in general use are the synonymous. As sometimes used, supervise implies the more general, and superintend , the more particular and constant, inspection or direction. Among architects there is a disposition to use the word supervise in the sense of a general oversight of the main points of construction with reference to the design, etc., and to employ the word superintend to signify a constant, careful attention to all the details of construction. But this technical distinction is not firmly established.

Superintendence Su`per·in·tend"ence noun [ Confer French superintendance .] The act of superintending; care and oversight for the purpose of direction; supervision. Barrow.

Syn. -- Inspection; oversight; care; direction; control; guidance.

Superintendency Su`per·in·tend"en·cy noun ; plural -cies The act of superintending; superintendence. Boyle.

Superintendent Su`per·in·tend"ent adjective [ Latin superintendens , present participle See Superintend .] Overseeing; superintending.

Superintendent Su`per·in·tend"ent noun [ Confer Old French superintendant , French surintendant . Confer Surintendant .] One who has the oversight and charge of some place, institution, or organization, affairs, etc., with the power of direction; as, the superintendent of an almshouse; the superintendent of public works.

Syn. -- Inspector; overseer; manager; director; curator; supervisor.

Superintender Su`per·in·tend"er noun A superintendent. [ R.]

Superinvestiture Su`per·in·vest"i·ture noun An outer vestment or garment. [ R.] Bp. Horne.

Superior Su·pe"ri·or adjective [ Latin , compar. of superus being above, from super above, over: confer French supérieur . See Super- , and confer Supreme .] 1. More elevated in place or position; higher; upper; as, the superior limb of the sun; the superior part of an image.

2. Higher in rank or office; more exalted in dignity; as, a superior officer; a superior degree of nobility.

3. Higher or greater in excellence; surpassing others in the greatness, or value of any quality; greater in quality or degree; as, a man of superior merit; or of superior bravery.

4. Beyond the power or influence of; too great or firm to be subdued or affected by; -- with to .

There is not in earth a spectacle more worthy than a great man superior to his sufferings.

Spectator.

5. More comprehensive; as a term in classification; as, a genus is superior to a species.

6. (Botany) (a) Above the ovary; -- said of parts of the flower which, although normally below the ovary, adhere to it, and so appear to originate from its upper part; also of an ovary when the other floral organs are plainly below it in position, and free from it. (b) Belonging to the part of an axillary flower which is toward the main stem; posterior. (c) Pointing toward the apex of the fruit; ascending; -- said of the radicle.

Superior conjunction , Superior planets , etc. See Conjunction , Planet , etc. -- Superior figure , Superior letter (Print.) , a figure or letter printed above the line, as a reference to a note or an index of a power, etc; as, in x ² + y ⁿ , 2 is a superior figure , n a superior letter . Confer Inferior figure , under Inferior .

Superior Su·pe"ri·or noun 1. One who is above, or surpasses, another in rank, station, office, age, ability, or merit; one who surpasses in what is desirable; as, Addison has no superior as a writer of pure English.

2. (Eccl.) The head of a monastery, convent, abbey, or the like.

Superioress Su·pe"ri·or·ess noun (Eccl.) A woman who acts as chief in a convent, abbey, or nunnery; a lady superior.

Superiority Su·pe`ri·or"i·ty noun [ Confer French supériorité , Late Latin superioritas .] The quality, state, or condition of being superior; as, superiority of rank; superiority in merit.

Syn. -- Preëminence; excellence; predominancy; prevalence; ascendency; odds; advantage.

Superiorly Su·pe"ri·or·ly adverb In a superior position or manner.

Superjacent Su`per·ja"cent adjective [ Latin superjacens , present participle of superjacere ; super above + jacere to lie.] Situated immediately above; as, superjacent rocks.

Superlation Su`per·la"tion noun [ Latin superlatio . See Superlative .] Exaltation of anything beyond truth or propriety. [ Obsolete] B. Jonson.

Superlative Su`per·la"tive adjective [ Latin superlativus , from superlatus excessive, used as past participle of superiorferre , but from a different root: confer French superlatif . See Elate , Tolerate .] 1. Lifted up to the highest degree; most eminent; surpassing all other; supreme; as, superlative wisdom or prudence; a woman of superlative beauty; the superlative glory of the divine character.

2. (Gram.) Expressing the highest or lowest degree of the quality, manner, etc., denoted by an adjective or an adverb. The superlative degree is formed from the positive by the use of -est , most , or least ; as, high est , most pleasant, least bright.

-- Su`per*la"tive*ly , adverb -- Su`per*la"tive*ness , noun

Superlative Su`per·la"tive noun 1. That which is highest or most eminent; the utmost degree.

2. (Gram.) (a) The superlative degree of adjectives and adverbs; also, a form or word by which the superlative degree is expressed; as, strongest , wisest , most stormy , least windy , are all superlatives .

Absolute superlative , a superlative in an absolute rather than in a comparative or exclusive sense. See Elative .

Superlucration Su`per·lu·cra"tion noun [ Prefix super- + Latin lucratio gain.] Excessive or extraordinary gain. [ Obsolete] Davenant.

Superlunar, Superlunary Su`per·lu"nar, Su`per·lu"na·ry adjective Being above the moon; not belonging to this world; -- opposed to sublunary .

The head that turns at superlunar things.

Pope.

Superman Su"per·man` noun = Overman , above.

Supermaterial Su`per·ma·te"ri·al adjective Being above, or superior to, matter.

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