Anglican Surplice. 
surplice 
surplice (ser'plis), n. [Early mod. E. also sur- 
l>/is; < ME. surplise, surplyce, surplys,< OF. snr- 
plis, sitrpeliz, surpelis, surpellis, F. surplis = Pr. 
sobrepelitz = Sp. sobrepelliz = Pg. sobrcpeliz = It. 
superpelliceo.f. ML. superpelliceum, a surplice, < L. 
super, over, -r ML. *petticeum,pe/licia, a garment 
of fur, a pelisse, < L. pelliceus, made of skins, 
< pellis, a skin: see pelisse, pilch^.J A loose- 
fitting vestment of white linen, with broad and 
full sleeves, worn over the cassock by clergy- 
men and choristers in the 
Roman Catholic and Angli- 
can churches. It is worn at al- 
most all offices except when replaced 
by the alb. In England it is also 
worn on certain days known as sur- 
plice-days by the fellows and stu- 
dents at the universities of Oxford 
and Cambridge. The surplice was 
originally a variety of the alb, dif- 
fering from it by the greater full- 
ness of the sleeves. Early represen- 
tations of the alb show, however, 
that it was often nearly as full in 
shape as the surplice. The name 
surplice (superpelliceum) first occurs 
in the eleventh century, and was 
derived from the practice of wear- 
ing this vestment over a pelisse, 
or dress of fur a circumstance 
which also explains its great breadth 
and fullness. In its more ancient 
form the surplice reached the feet, 
and it retained till recently nearly 
its full length. At present, in the 
Anglican Church, it reaches to the knee or lower, while 
in the Roman Catholic Church it is usually much shorter 
than this and is ornamented with lace or is made of lace- 
like lawn or other material. The short or Italian sur- 
plice, especially as worn by choristers, is called a cotta. 
See rochetl. 
A man [the Canon] that clothed was in clothes Wake, 
And undernethe he wered a surplys. 
Chaucer, Prol. to Canon's Yeoman's Tale, 1. 5. 
Princes and Queens will not disdain to kiss a Capuchin's 
Sleeve, or the Surplice of a Priest. Hou-ell, Letters, iv. 36. 
surpliced (ser'plist), a. [< surplice, n., + -ed 2 .] 
Wearing a surplice or surplices: as, a surpliced 
choir. 
Commands and interdicts, uttered by a surpliced priest 
to minds prepared by chant and organ-peal. 
H. Spencer, Study of Sociol.,p. 365. 
surplice-fee (ser'plis-fe), n. A fee paid to the 
clergy for occasional duties, as on baptisms, 
marriages, funerals, etc. 
With tithes his barns replete he sees, 
And chuckles o'er his surplice fees; 
Studies to find out latent dues,' 
And regulates the state of pews. 
T. Warton, Progress of Discontent. 
surplus (ser'plus), n. and a. [< ME. surplus, < 
OF. surplus, sorplus, F. surplus, < ML. super- 
plus, excess, surplus, < L. super, over, + plus, 
more: see plus. Cf. superplus, overplus.] I. n. 
1. That which remains above what is used or 
needed; excess beyond what is prescribed or 
wanted ; more than enough ; overplus. 
Of Pryamus was yeve at Grekes requeste 
A tyme of trewe, and tho they gonnen trete 
Here prisoneres to chaungen most and leste 
And for the surplus yeve sommes grete. 
Chaucer, Troilus, iv. 60. 
It is a surplus of your grace, which never 
My life may last to answer. Shak., W. T. , v. 3. 7. 
2. In law, the residuum of an estate after the 
debts and legacies are paid. 
II. a. Being above what is required ; in ex- 
cess: as, surplus labor; surplus population. 
surplusage (ser'plus-aj), n. [< OF. * surplusage 
(ML. surplusagium); as surplus + -age. Cf. su- 
perplusage."] 1. Surplus; excess; redundancy. 
Until men haue gotten necessarie to eate, yea until they 
haue obteyned also some surplusage also to giue. 
Guevara, Letters (tr. by Hellowes, 1577), p. 82. 
She bade me spare no cost, 
And, as a surplusage, offer'd herself 
To be at my devotion. 
Fletcher, Spanish Curate, v. 3. 
A surplusage given to one part is paid out of a reduction 
from another part of the same creature. If the head and 
neck are enlarged, the trunk and extremities are cut short. 
Emerson, Compensation. 
Poetry was the surplusage of Bryant's labors. 
Stedman, Poets of America, p. 75. 
2. In law, any allegation or statement in a 
pleading or proceeding not necessary to its 
adequacy It implies that the superfluous matter is 
such that its omission would not impair the true mean- 
ing nor the right of the party, but that to attempt to 
fi' V ht W obscure the meaning or impair the 
surprisal (ser-pri'zal), n. [< surprise + -al.] 
i he act of surprising, or coming suddenly and 
unexpectedly, or the state of being surprised, 
or taken unawares; a surprise. 
6086 
She had caused that late darkness, to free Lorel from 
surprisal, and his prey from being rescued from him. 
B. Jonson, Sad Shepherd, Arg. 
Sins which men are tempted to by sudden passions or 
surprisal. Baxter, Sell-Denial, xx. 
June is the pearl of our New England year. 
Still a surprisal, though expected long. 
Lowell, Under the Willows. 
surprise (ser-priz' ),H. [Formerly also surprize ; 
< ME. surprise, < OF. sorprise, surprise, sur- 
prinse, F. surprise, a taking unawares, surprise, 
fern, of sorpris, surpris, surprins, F. surpris, 
of sorprendre, surprendre, F. surprendre = 
sorprendre = Sp. sorprender = Pg. surprender 
surquidous 
Mr. Hallam reprobates, in language which has a little 
surprised us, the nineteen propositions into which the 
Parliament digested its scheme. 
Macaulay, Hallam's Const. Hist. 
I should not be surprised if they were cried next Sab- 
bath. S. Judd, Margaret, i. 6. 
Whatever happens, the practical man is sure to be sur- 
prised; for, of all the ways in whicli things may turn out, 
the way in which he expects them to turn out is always 
the one which is the least likely of all. 
E. A. Freeman, Amer. Lects., p. 450. 
3S5ST^H^ 
K^^<^S^S^^^^. int mak ^ a wfeon or an explanation, 
awares, seize upon, < L super, over, upon, + ^^^^^STl^lS^ anS 
prendere, preliendere, take, seize : see preliend, looks about him, and, if he sees any Body else nodding, 
prise 1 .'] 1. The act of coming upon anything 
unawares, or of taking it suddenly and without 
warning or preparation : as, the fort was taken 
by surprise. 
.KUCIIH caried his Penates or houshold gods into Italy, 
after the surprise and combustion of Troy. 
Heywood, Hierarchy of Angels, p. 81. 
He [King John] won more of his Enemies by Surprizes 
than by Battels. Hater, Chronicles, p. 75. 
2. The state of beingseized with astonishment ; 
an emotion excited by something happening 
suddenly and unexpectedly; astonishment; 
amazement. 
We went on to the north, the Nile running through the 
rocks. The people knew I came to see the cataract, and 
stood still ; I ask'd them when we should come to the 
cataract, and, to my great surprise, they told me that was 
the cataract. Pococke, Description of the East, I. 122. 
Surprise can only come from getting a sensation which 
differs from the one we expect. 
W. James, Prin. of Psychol., II. 502. 
3. Anything which causes the feeling of sur- 
prise, as an unexpected event or a novel and 
striking thought. 
Her blue eyes upturned, 
As if life were one long and sweet surprise. 
Browning, Pippa Passes. 
I have always contended, in addition, for the existence 
of states of neutral excitement, where we are mentally 
alive, and, it may be, to an intense degree. Perhaps the 
best example of these is the excitement of a surprise. 
A. Bain, Emotions and Will, p. 568. 
4f. A dish covered with a crust of raised paste, 
either wakes them himself, or sends his Servant to them! 
Additon, Spectator, No. 112. 
It was not the new words he [Chaucer] introduced, but 
his way of using the old ones, that surprised them lntn 
grace, ease, and dignity in their own despite. 
Lowell, Study Windows, p. 258. 
6f. To hold possession of; hold. 
Not with me, 
That in my hands surprise the sovereignty. 
Webster. 
= Syn. 4. Surprise, Astonish, Amaze, Astound, startle. The 
italicized words are in the order of strength. They ex- 
press the effect upon the mind of that which is unexpected 
and perhaps sudden. To surprise is, literally, to take un- 
awares or suddenly, to affect with wonder : as, I am sur- 
prised to find you here. Astonish applies especially to 
that which is great or striking. Amaze, literally, to put into 
a maze, is used to express perturbation or bewilderment 
in one's surprise, and naturally therefore belongs to that 
which closely concerns one's self or is incomprehensible. 
To astound is to overwhelm with surprise, to make dumb, 
helpless, or unable to think. We are surprised at a thing 
because we did not expect it, astonished because of its 
remarkableness in some respect, amazed because we can- 
not understand how it came to pass, astounded so that 
we do_not know what to think or do. 
surprise-cup (ser-prlz'kup), n. A drinking-ves- 
sel so arranged as to play some trick upon the 
drinker, (a) A cup that spills the liquid upon one 
suddenly, or allows it to disappear into a false bottom 
as the vessel is tipped. (6) A cup in which some object, 
as a small animal or a dwarf, starts into sight when liquid 
is poured in. (c) A glass goblet which, by means of double 
walls with liquid between them, presents the deceptive 
appearance of being two thirds full. Also called conjur- 
ing-cup, puzzle-cup. 
>|| *. HMOM W W&V7M ITHJli " \jl lLi3\j \JL lOjlOCl-t IJOLOli^j^ J 1 / X -/ J 1\ "1 T 
but with no other contents, or with contents of SUrprisedly(ser-pn zed-li),rfr. In the manner 
unexpected quality or variety. one S5E*?! with surprise. Elect. Eev. 
' &9 ' 
A surprise is likewise a dish not so very common; which, . , . - , .. 
promising little from its first appearance, when open SUrprisement (ser-pnz ment), n. 
abounds with all sorts of variety. 
W. King, Art of Cookery, letter v. 
5. Same as back-scratcher, 2 Surprise cadence, 
in music, same as interrupted or deceptive cadence (which 
see, under cadence). Surprise party, a party of persons qvirnri qpr 
who assemble by mutual agreement, but without invita- n 
[Formerly 
also surprizement; < surprise + -ment.'] Sur- 
prisal. [Rare.] 
Many skirmishes interpassed, with surprizements of 
castles. Daniel, Hist. Eng., p. 55. 
. [< surprise + -er^ .] 
tion, at the house of a common friend, bringing with them One who or th " at which surprises, 
material for supper. [U. S.] surprising (ser-prl'zing), p. a. [Ppr. of sur- 
A bag of flour, a bar- prise, r.J Exciting surprise; extraordinary; 
astonishing; of a nature to call out wonder or 
admiration: as, surprising bravery; a surpris- 
ing escape. 
It is surprising to observe how simple and poor is the 
diet of the Egyptian peasantry, and yet how robust and 
healthy most of them are. 
E. W. Lane, Modern Egyptians, I. 243. 
= Syn. Strange, Curious^ etc. See wonderful. 
Now, then, for a surprise-party! 
rel of potatoes, some strings of onions, abasket of apples, 
a big cake and many little cakes, a jug of lemonade, a 
purse stuffed with bills of the more modest denomina- 
tions, may, perhaps, do well enough for the properties in 
one of these private theatrical exhibitions. 
0. W. Holmes, Professor, iv. 
=Syn. 2. See surprise, v., and surprising. 
surprise (ser-priz'), v. t. ; pret. and pp. surprised, 
ppr. surprising. [Formerly also surprize ;< ME. ,--, -.- -, ----- 
surprisen, supprisen; < surprise, re.] 1 To come surprisingly (ser-pri zmg-h), adv. 
upon unexpectedly; fall upon or assail suddenly P"si?g manner or degree ; astomsmngiy. 
and without warning ; take or capture one who Surprisingness (ser-pri zmg-nes), n. The char- 
is off his guard, by an unexpected movement, acter - of bemg surP rlsm g- Bailey. 
The fcynge went* toward hym with swerde in honde S ^ u JE^ t> "' * obsolete spelling of 
drawen a softe pas gripinge his shelde, for he wende hym " * T, , 
to haue supprised. Merlin (E. E. T. S.), iii. 648. SUTquedOUrt, SUTquedOUSt, etc. See Slirquidour, 
He is taken prisoner, e ^ c - 
surquidantt, - [Early mod. E. also sureudant; 
-*" - - - . ** ^.T* 
In a sur- 
Either betray'd by falsehood of his guard, 
Or by his foe surprised at unawares. 
Shak., 3 Hen. VI., iv. 4. 9. 
Visited 8' Wm D'Oylie, surprized with a fit of apoplexie, 
and in extreame danger. Evelyn, Diary, April 10, 1666. 
Two or three of the caravan went before to observe them 
[the Arabs], that they might not surprise us. 
Pococke, Description of the East, II. i. 139. 
2f. To seize suddenly ; capture. 
Is the traitor Cade surprised ? 
Shalr., 2 Hen. VI., iv. 9. 8. 
3. To disconcert ; confuse; confound. 
The ear-deafening voice o' the oracle, 
Kin to Jove's thunder, so surprised my sense 
That I was nothing. Shale., W. T., iii. 1. 10. 
We went to Dr. Mastricht's to inform him of what had 
passed ; who, though of a kind disposition, and very friend- 
ly to us, yet seemed surprized with fear. 
Penn, Travels in Holland, etc. 
, 
< ME. "surquidant, < OF. surcuidant, surgui- 
dant, sorcuidant, presumptuous, arrogant, ppr. 
of surcuider, surquider, sorcuider, presume, be 
overweening, < ML. as if *supercogitare, < L. 
super, over, + cogitare (>OIt. coitare = Sp. Pg. 
cuidar = OF. cuider, quider, also cuidier, qmdier, 
F. cuider), think: see cogitate."] Presumptu- 
ous; arrogant; proud. 
Full of vaynglorious pompe and surcudant elacyon. 
Skelton, A Replycacion. 
surquidourt, . [ME., also surquedour, sour- 
quidour, sorquidour, < OF. "surcuidour, *sorcui- 
dour, < surcuider, sorcuider, presume, be over- 
weening: see surquidant."] A haughty, arro- 
gant, or insolent person. 
And sente forth sourquidourz, bus seriauns of armes. 
Piers Plowman(U), xxii. 341. 
4. To strike with sudden astonishment, as by surquidoust, a. [ME., also surquydous, surque- 
something unexpected or remarkable either in dous, < OF. *surcuidou,i, *sorcuidmis, presurn- 
' ing, presumptuous, < surcuider, sorcuider, pre- 
sume : see surquidant.~] Presumptuous ; proud ; 
arrogant, (lower, Conf. Amant., i. 
conduct or in speech, or by the appearance of ing, presumptuous, < surcuider, sorcuider, pre- 
something unusual: often used in a weakened " ~~~ " .-j-...* n T> *--- 
sense. 
