SUP 
existence of a thing.—It being impossible for any nature to 
comprehend what is superessential, or infinitely above it. 
Ellis. 
To SUPEREXA'LT, v. a. To exalt above the ordinary 
rate.—God having superexalted our Lord,—is therefore said 
to have seated him at his right hand. Barrow. 
SUPERE'XALTATION, s. Elevation above the com¬ 
mon rate. 
SUPERE'XCELLENT, adj. Excellent beyond com¬ 
mon degrees of excellence.—We discern not the abuse: 
suffer him to persuade us that we are as gods, something so 
superexccllent, that all must reverence and adore. Dec. of 
Chr. Piet?/. 
SUPEREXCRE'SCENCE, s. Something superfluously 
growing.—As the escar separated between the scarifications, 
I rubbed the superexcrescence of flesh with the vitriol stone. 
Wiseman. 
To SUPERFE'TATE, v. n. [super and foetus, Lat.] 
To conceive after conception.—The female brings forth 
twice in one month, and so is said to superfetate, which, 
saith Aristotle, is because her eggs are hatched in her one 
after another. Grew. 
SUPERFETA'TION, s. [superfetalion , Fr.] One con¬ 
ception following another, so that both were supposed to 
be in the womb together. — Superfetation must be by 
abundance of sap in the bough that putteth it forth. 
Bacon. 
To SU'PERFETE, v. n. To superfetate. 
So is my fancy quicken’d by the glance 
Of his benign aspect and countenance: 
It makes me pregnant, and to superfete. Howell. 
To SU'PERFETE, v. a. To conceive upon a conception. 
—The Spaniard doth use to pause so in his pronunciation, 
that his tongue seldom foreruns his wit; and his brain may 
very well raise and superfete a second thought before the 
first be offered. Howell. 
SU'PERFICE, s. [superfcic, Fr., superfcics, Latin.] 
Outside; surface. 
Then if it rise not to the former height 
Of superfee, conclude that soil is light. Dryden. 
SUPERFICIAL, adj. [superfciel, Fr., from superfcics, 
Lat.] Lying on the surface; not reaching below the sur¬ 
face.—That, upon the si/pcrfcial ground, heat and moisture 
cause putrefaction, in England is found not true. Bacon. — 
Shallow; contrived to cover something. 
This superficial tale 
Is but a preface to her worthy praise. Shakspeare. 
Shallow ; not profound; smattering, not learned.—Their 
knowledge is so very superficial, and so ill-grounded, that 
it is impossible for them to describe in what consists the 
beauty of those works. Dryden. 
SUPERFICIA'LITY, s. The quality of being super¬ 
ficial.—By these salts the colours of bodies receive degrees of 
lustre or obscurity, superficiality or profundity. Brown. 
SUPERFICIALLY, adv. On the surface; not below 
the surface. Without penetration ; without close heed.— 
Perspective hath been with some diligence inquired ; but the 
nature of sounds in general hath been superficially observed. 
Bacon. —Without going deep; without searching to the 
bottom of things. 
You have said well; 
But on the cause and question now in hand, 
Have gloz’d but superficially. Shakspeare. 
SUPERFICIALNESS, s. Shallowness; position on the 
surface. Slight knowledge: false appearance; show with¬ 
out substance. 
SUPERFICIES, s. Outside; surface; superfice.—A 
convex mirroiir makes objects in the middle to come out 
from the superficies: the painter must, in respect of the light 
and shadows of his figures, give them more relievo. Dryden. 
SU'PERFINE, adj. Eminently fine.—If you observe 
your cyder, by interposing it between a candle and your 
Vol. XXIII. No. 1601. 
SUP 701 
’eye, to be very transparent, it may called superfine. Mor¬ 
timer. 
SUPER'FLUENCE, s. [super arid fiuo, Lat.] More than 
is necessary.—The superfuence of grace is ordinarily pro¬ 
portioned to the discharge of former trusts,.making use of the 
foregoing sufficient grace. Hammond. 
SUPERFLU'ITANCE, s. [super and jluito, Lat.] The 
act of floating above.—Spermaceti, which is a superfluit- 
ance on the sea, is not the sperm of a whale. Brown. 
SUPERFLU'ITANT, adj. [superfluitans, Lat.] Floating 
above. 
SUPERFLUITY, s. [superfluity, French.] More than 
enough; plenty beyond use or necessity.—A quiet medio¬ 
crity is still to be preferred before a troubled superfluity. 
Suckling. 
SUPERFLUOUS, adj. [super and Jluo, Lat.] Exuber¬ 
ant ; more than enough; unnecessary; offensive by being 
more than sufficient. 
If ye know. 
Why ask ye, and superfluous begin 
Your message, like to end as much in V3in ? Milton. 
SUPE'RFLUOUSNESS, s. The state of being super¬ 
fluous. 
SU'PERFLUX, s. [super and fluxus, Lat.] That which 
is more than is wanted. 
Take physic, pomp; 
Expose thyself to feel what wretches feel, 
That thou may’st shake the superflux to them. Shakspeare. 
SUPERFOLIATION, *. Excess of foliation.—This, in 
the pathology of plants, may be the disease of superfolia- 
tion, mentioned by Theophrastus; whereby the fructifying 
juice is starved by the excess of leaves. Sir T. Brown. 
SUPERGA, a mountain of the north of Italy, in the Sar¬ 
dinian states, in Piedmont, about five miles from Turin, re¬ 
markable for its picturesque scenery, and for the elegance of 
a church which crowns its summit. This edifice, built by 
Victor Amadeus, is of a circular form, supported by pillars of 
beautiful marble, and surmounted by a dome. The altars 
are decorated with bas-reliefs, and the pavement is of varie¬ 
gated marble. It is the burial place of the royal family, is 
seen from the surrounding country to a considerable distance, 
and commands, in return, a most delightful view. 
SUPERHU'MAN, adj. Above the nature or power of 
man. 
SUPERIMPREGNA'TION, s. Superconception; super¬ 
fetation. 
SUPERINCU'MBENNT, adj. Lying on the top of some¬ 
thing else.—It is sometimes so extremely violent, that it 
forces the superincumbent strata. Woodward. 
To SUPERINDU'CE, v. a. [super and induco, Lat.] 
To bring in as an addition to something else.—Father is a 
notion superinduced to the substance of man, and refers 
only to an act of that thing called man, whereby he contri¬ 
buted to the generation of one of his own kind, let man be 
what it will. Locke. —To bring on a thing not originally 
belonging to that on which it is brought.—Relation is not 
contained in the real existence of things, but something ex¬ 
traneous and superinduced. Locke. 
SUPERINDU'CTION, s. The act of superinducing.—.A 
good inclination is but the first rude draught of virtue ; the 
superinduction of ill habits quickly deface it. South. 
SUPERINJE'CTION, s. An injection succeeding ano¬ 
ther. 
To SUPERINSPE'CT, v. a. To overlook ; to oversee.— 
He supcrinspccts the whole affair of victualling at that port. 
Maydman. 
SUPERINSTITUTION, s. [In Law.] One institution 
upon another; as if A be instituted and admitted to a bene¬ 
fice upon a title, and B be instituted and admitted by the 
presentation of another. Bailey. 
To SUPERINTEND, v. a. To oversee; to overlook ; 
to take care of others with authority.—This argues design, and 
a superintending wisdom, power, and providence in this 
special business of food, Derham. 
8 Q SUPERINTENDENCE, 
