surmount

English

Etymology

From Middle English [Term?], from Old French surmonter (“to rise above, surmount”), from sur- (“above”) + monter (“to mount”).

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /səˈmaʊnt/
  • (US) IPA(key): /sɚˈmaʊnt/

Verb

surmount (third-person singular simple present surmounts, present participle surmounting, simple past and past participle surmounted)

  1. To get over; to overcome
    • 1748. David Hume. Enquiries concerning the human understanding and concerning the principles of moral. London: Oxford University Press, 1973. § 10.
      this difficulty may perhaps be surmounted by care and art
  2. To cap; to sit on top off.
    • 2007, Robert Chitham, The Classical Orders of Architecture, →ISBN:
      The ovolo surmounting the dentil course generally turns the corner by means of a carved acanthus leaf, the decorated cyma and cyma reversa being similarly treated at the corner.

Translations

Further reading

  • surmount in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
  • surmount in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
  • surmount at OneLook Dictionary Search
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