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Webster's Dictionary (1865)

2 entries under this word

Surprise

Sur-prîze', v. t.

verbtransitive

v. t. [imp. & p. p. SURPRISED; p. pr. & vb. n. SURPRISING.] [From the noun; Fr. surprendre, p. p. surpris, Pr. surprendre, sorprendere, sobreprendere, Pg. surprender, Sp. sorprender, It. sorprendere, soprapprendere, from Lat. super, supra, over, and prendere, prehendere, to take.]

Sense 1. To come or fall upon suddenly and unexpectedly; to take unawares.

The castle of Macduff I will surprise. Shak.

Who can speak The mingled passions that surprised his heart? Thomson.

Sense 2. To hold possession of; to hold. [Obs. and rare.]

Not with me, That in my hands surprise the sovereignty. Webster.

Sense 3. To strike with wonder or astonishment by something sudden, unexpected, or remarkable, either in conduct or language, or by the appearance of something unusual.

I am surprised with an uncouth fear. Shak.

Sense 4. To throw the mind of into disorder by something suddenly presented to the view or to the mind; to confuse.

Up he starts, discovered and surprised. Milton.

Sur-prîze', n.

noun

n. [Fr. surprise, from surprendre, surpris; It. & Sp. sorpresa. See supra.]

  1. The act of coming upon unawares, or of taking suddenly and without preparation; as, the fort was taken by surprise.
  2. (Law.) The state of being surprised, or taken unexpectedly;—sometimes used, in a loose sense, to denote fraud, or something presumptive of, and approaching to, fraud. Story. Burrill.
  3. An emotion excited by something happening suddenly and unexpectedly, as something novel told or presented to view; a moderate degree of sudden wonder and astonishment.
  4. A dish with nothing in it. [Obs.] King.