702 
SUP 
SUP 
SUPERINTENDENCE, or Superinte'ndency, s. 
Superior care; the act of overseeing with authority.—The 
Divine Providence, which hath a visible respect to the being 
of every man, is yet more observable in its superintendence/ 
over societies. Grew. 
SUPERINTENDENT, 5. [ superintendant , Fr.] One 
who overlooks others authoritatively.—Our new superintend 
dents and ministers. Martin. 
SUPERINTENDENT, adj. Overlooking others with 
authority.—Next to Brama, one Deuendre is the superin¬ 
tendent deity, who hath many more under him. Stilling- 
fieet. 
SUPE'RIOR, adj. [superieur, Fr.; superior, Lat.] 
Higher; greater in dignity or excellence ; preferable or pre¬ 
ferred to another.— Superior beings above us, who enjoy 
perfect happiness, are more steadily determined in their 
choice of good than we, and yet they are not less happy or 
less free than we are. Locke. —Upper; highly locally.— 
By the refraction of the second prism, the breadth of the 
image was not increased, but its superior part which in the 
first prism suffered the greater refraction, and appeared violet 
and blue, did again in the second prism suffer a greater re¬ 
fraction than its inferior part, which appeared red and yel¬ 
low. Newton.- —Free from emotion or concern; uncon¬ 
quered ; unaffected.—There is not in earth a spectacle more 
worthy than a great man superior to his sufferings. Addi¬ 
son. 
SUPE'RIOR., s. One more excellent or dignified than 
another.—Those under the great officers of state have more 
frquent opportunities for the exercise of benevolence than 
their superiors. Addison. 
SUPERIOR, La.ke, a lake of North America, and the 
largest body of fresh water which has yet been discovered. 
It is the most western of the great American lakes, and may 
be considered the head reservoir from which the St. Law¬ 
rence derives its ample stream. This immense lake, un¬ 
equalled in magnitude by any collection of fresh water upon 
the globe, is almost of a triangular form; its greatest length 
is 381, its breadth ] 61, and its circumference little less than 
1152 miles; and is remarkable for the unrivalled transparency 
of its waters, as for its extraordinary depth. Its northern 
coast, indented with many extensive bays, is high and rocky ; 
but on the southern shore the land is generally low and level. 
A sea almost of itself, it is subject to many vicissitudes of 
that element; for here the storm rages, and the billows break 
with a violence scarcely surpassed by the tempests of the 
ocean. In the distant range of mountains that form the 
land’s height beyond its northern and western shores, several 
considerable rivers, and numerous small ones, have their 
rise, which being increased in their course by many small 
lakes, finally discharge themselves into Lake Superior. To 
the southward also there is another lofty range, dividing the 
waters that find their way to the gulf of Mexico through the 
channel of the Mississippi, from those that take a northern 
course into the great lake; so that its vastness is increased by 
the tributary streams of more than 30 rivers. On its north 
and north-east sides there are several islands, of which one 
called Isle Royale is the largest, being 100 miles long and 40 
broad. Out of the south-east angle of Lake Superior a very 
rapid current, interrupted and broken by many small 
islands, or rather huge masses of rock, flows through a 
channel of 27 miles in length, at the end of which it flows 
into Lake Huron. The falls of St. Mary are nearly midway 
between the two lakes. This denomination, though gene¬ 
rally given, but little accords with the usual appellation of 
Falls, as applied to the descent of large bodies of water pre¬ 
cipitated from great heights, that so frequently occur on the 
rivers of America; for, in this place, it is only the impetuous 
stream of the enormous discharge from Lake Superior, 
forcing its way through a confined channel, and breaking 
with proportionate violence through the impediments that 
nature has thrown in its way; yet this scene of tumultuous 
and unceasing agitation of the waters, combined with the 
noise and dazzling whiteness of the surge, is not deficient 
either in grandeur or magnificence. The lake abounds with 
fish, particularly trout and sturgeon, which may be caught at 
almost any season in the greatest abundance. The trout in 
general weigh about 121bs.; but some are caught that ex¬ 
ceed 50. Besides these, a species of white fish is taken in 
great quantities here, that resemble a shad in their shape, but 
they are rather thicker, and less bony: they weigh about 
4lbs. each, and are of a delicious taste. There are likewise 
many sorts of smaller fish in great plenty here, and which 
may be taken with ease. Among these are a sort resembling 
a herring, that are generally made use of as a bait for the 
trout. Very small crabs, not larger than half a crown piece, 
are found both in this and Lake Michigan. Lat. 46.4. to 
48. 45. N. long. 84. 46. to 91. 55. W. 
SUPERIORITY, s. Pre-eminence; the quality of being 
greater or higher than another in any respect.—The person 
who advises, does in that particular exercise a superiority 
over us, thinking us defective in our conduct or understand¬ 
ing. Addison. 
SUPERJURARE. Anciently, when a criminal en¬ 
deavoured to excuse himself by his own oath, or by that of 
one or more witnesses, and yet the crime was so notorious, 
that he was convicted by the oaths of many more witnesses; 
this was called superjurare. 
SUPERLA'TION, s. [superlatio , Lat.] Exaltation of 
any thing beyond truth or propriety.—There are words that 
as much raise a style as others can depress it; super/ation 
and overmuchness amplifies: it may be above faith, but not 
above a mean. B. Jonson. 
SUPERLATIVE, adj. [superlatif, Fr.; superiativus, 
Lat.] Implying or expressing the highest degree.—Some 
have a violent and turgid manner of talking and thinking : 
they are always in extremes, and pronounce concerning 
every thing in the superlative. Watts. —Rising to the 
highest degree.—Ingratitude and compassion never cohabit 
in the same breast; and shews the superlative malignity of 
this vice, and the baseness of the mind in which it dwells. 
South. 
SUPERLATIVELY, adv. In a manner of speech ex¬ 
pressing the highest degree.—I shall not speak superlatively 
of them; but that I may truly say, they are second to none 
in the Christian world. Bacon. —In the highest degree.— 
Tiberius was bad enough in his youth; but superlatively 
and monstrously so in his old age. South. 
SUPERLATIVENESS, s. The state of being in the 
highest degree. 
"SUPERLU'NAR, or Superlunary, adj. Not sublu¬ 
nary ; placed above the moon ; not of this world. 
The mind, in metaphysics, at a loss, 
May wander in a wilderness of moss; 
The head that turns at superlunar things. 
Pois’d with a tail, may steer on Wilkins’ wings. Pope. 
SUPERNA'CULUM, s. [“ vox hybrida, ex Lat. preepo- 
sitione super (upon) et Germ, nagel (a nail) composita; 
qui mos nova vocabula fingendi Anglis potissimum usitatus 
est, vocemque supernaculi apud eosdem produxit.” De 
Supernaculo Anglorum, 4to., Lips. 1746, p. 8. Cited by 
Brand, Pop. Antiq. ii. 239.] Good liquor, of which there is 
not even a drop left sufficient to wet one’s nail. Grose. —To 
drink supernaculum was an ancient custom not only in 
England, but also in several other parts of Europe, of empty¬ 
ing the cup or glass, and then pouring the drop or two that 
remained at the bottom upon the person’s nail that drauk it, 
to shew that he was no flincher. Brand. 
I saw some sparks as they were drinking, 
With mighty mirth, and little thinking; 
Their jests were supernaculum, 
I snatch’d their rubies from each thumb; 
And in this crystal have ’em here. King. 
SUPERNAL, adj. [supernus, Lat.] Having an higher 
position ; locally above us.—By heaven and earth was meant 
the solid matter and substance, as well of all the heavens and 
orbs supernal, as of the globe of the earth, and waters which 
covered it. Ralegh. —Relating to things above; placed 
above; celestial; heavenly. 
That 
