v. Also 4–6 sour-, sor-, 5 sirmount(e, 5–6 surmont(e, 6 -mownt, Sc. -munt. [a. AF., OF. surmunter, so(u)rmonter, mod.F. surmonter (= Pr. sobremontar, It. sormontare), ad. med.L. supermontāre: see SUR-, SUPER- 2 and MOUNT v.]
† 1. trans. To rise above, go beyond, surpass. a. in quality, attainment, etc.: To excel, be superior to. Obs.
c. 1369. Chaucer, Dethe Blaunche, 826. So had she Surmountede hem al of beaute. Ibid. (c. 1385), L. G. W., Prol. 123. Comparison may noon y-maked bee For yt surmounteth pleynly alle odoures.
1412–20. Lydg., Chron. Troy, I. 3344. A stoon … Þe whiche … of colour surmounteth euery grene. Ibid. (c. 1430), Min. Poems (Percy Soc.), 232. Holsom and glad is the memorye or Crist Jhesu! surmountyng al swetnesse.
1508. Dunbar, Gold. Targe, 260. O reuerend Chaucere,… Surmounting ewiry tong terrestriall, Alls fer as Mayes morow dois mydnycht.
1531. Elyot, Gov., Proheme. Whome, I beseche god, ye may surmount in longe life and perfect felicitie.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., II. x. 1. The famous auncestryes Of my most dreaded Soueraigne … By which all earthly Princes she doth farre surmount.
1613. Purchas, Pilgrimage, VIII. ii. 735. In Siluer, Potozi seemes to haue surmounted any one Mine of the World, besides those of new Spaine.
1624. Quarles, Sion’s Sonn., Poems (1717), 347. See how Kings Courts surmount poor Shepherds Cells, So this, the pride of Solomon excels.
1667. Davenant & Dryden, Tempest, Pref. We may satisfie our selves with surmounting them in the Scene, and safely leave them those Trappings of Writing,… with which they adorn the Borders of their Plays.
† b. in amount or magnitude: To exceed, amount to more than, be greater than. Also, to pass beyond (a specified point or amount); e.g., to live beyond (a certain age); to spend more than (one’s income). Obs.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, III. 1038. Som so ful of furye is and despit, That it sourmounteth his repressyoun. Ibid. (c. 1374), Boeth., III. pr. viii. (1868), 80. Mayst þou sourmounten þise olifuntz in gretnesse or weyȝt of body?
c. 1489. Caxton, Sonnes of Aymon, i. 37. How hath ye euyl thys daye surmounted ye goode.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 228 b. Aged persones that hath surmounted and passed that age.
1546. in Dugdale, Monast. Anglic. (1821), III. 283/2. The kinges maiesties landes doe surmount the lands of the said John Norris by the yearly value of xlj s. xj d. ob.
1570. Act 13 Eliz., c. 4 § 8. Yf the Landes … solde … do surmount, after the Rate and Value aforesaid, the Debt and Arrearages.
1570. Buchanan, Admonitioun, Wks. (S.T.S.), 21. To incur the cryme of surmonting my priuat estait.
1581. Lambarde, Eiren., II. vii. (1588), 276. If two or moe persons, do ioyne in the stealing of goods that do surmount xii d. Ibid. (1591), Archeion (1635), 50. Where the Mischiefe doth surmount the common growth.
1600. Holland, Livy, XXI. lviii. 426. There arose so terrible a … tempest … that it surmounted well near the foule trouble … endured in the Alpes.
a. 1674. Traherne, Chr. Ethics (1675), 471. Many charitable and pious works, perhaps surmounting his estate.
a. 1676. Hale, Prim. Orig. Man., II. i. (1677), 131. The Inhabitants of the World do daily increase, and their increment surmounts daily their decrease.
1776. Conn. Col. Rec. (1890), XV. 357. That the debts … due from the estate … surmount the inventoried part of said estate the sum of £46. 3. 11/4.
† c. To be above the reach or capacity of, to transcend: = SURPASS 4. Obs.
1502. Ord. Crysten Men (W. de W., 1506), I. vii. 69. Thynges ye whiche surmounteth the puyssaunce and capacyte of natural understandynge.
1553. Respublica, III. ii. 626. Theye ferre sormounte all praise that my tong can expresse.
1671. Milton, Samson, 1380. How thou wilt here come off surmounts my reach.
1686. Oldham’s Wks., Pref. 5. Nothing can be said so choice and curious which his Deserts do not surmount.
1738. Wesley, Ps. CXXXIX. xiii. Thy Thoughts of Love to me surmount The Power of Number to recount.
† 2. absol. or intr. a. (from 1 a). To be superior, to excel. Obs.
1447. Bokenham, Seyntys (Roxb.), 156. Not oonly this Marye … surmountyd in dygnyte But also … She of naturys yiftys had the sovereynte.
1509. Hawes, Past. Pleas., I. (Percy Soc.), 11. O ye estates surmountynge in noblenesse.
1517. Torkington, Pilgr. (1884), 12. The Richesse, the sumptuous buyldyng,… with all other thynges that makyth a Cite glorius Surmownteth in Venys a bove all places that ever I Sawe.
1577. Harrison, England, II. xv. (1877), I. 271. The noble men and gentlemen doo surmount in this behalfe.
a. 1641. Bp. Mountagu, Acts & Mon., iv. (1642), 256. She was a woman, as in birth royall, so in all naturall graces surmounting.
1687. trans. Sallust, 85. There were two Great Men of different … Manners of Living, yet in Vertue both surmounting.
† b. (from 1 b.) To exceed, be greater or more numerous; to be in excess, predominate, preponderate; also, to remain over as a surplus. Obs.
a. 1533. Ld. Berners, Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546), B iij b. This our age … is not called of yron, for faute of sages, but bycause the malycious people surmounte.
1534. Whitinton, Tullyes Offices, I. (1540), 27. That we maye … se bothe in addycion and subtraction what somme may surmounte of the remaynes.
1541. Copland, Galyen’s Terap., 2 G iv. Somtyme ye shal vse detraction of blode, yt is when the blode surmounteth.
1560. Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., 393. The cleargy, which in the consistory of the Empire surmounte in nombre.
1621. Elsing, Debates Ho. Lords (Camden), 83. My mysery doth more surmount that his Majesty is drawen in to be a party.
3. trans. To prevail over, get the better of, overcome. a. a person; † also said of an emotion or desire. Now rare.
1390. Gower, Conf., I. 217. He his fader in desdeign Hath … set of non acompte, As he which thoghte him to surmonte.
c. 1400. Laud Troy Bk., 6161. His hert gret angur surmounted.
a. 1400–50. Wars Alex., 2361 (Ashm.). Sexes [= Xerxes] in sum time surmountid all kyngis.
a. 1450. Knt. de la Tour, 117. Seint Katerine, that by her witte … surmounted … the grettest philosophers in Grece.
1509. Hawes, Past. Pleas., XVI. (Percy Soc.), 73. Thus covetyse shal nothyng surmount Your yonge ladyes herte.
1525. Ld. Berners, Froiss., II. xcv. 284. He feared leste they wolde surmounte hym, and take awaye his realme from hym.
a. 1530. Wolsey, in Cavendish, Life (1893), 153. The sodden joy surmounted my memory.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., i. I. 275. The attempts of the rival ministers to surmount and supplant each other.
b. temptation, hostility, (now usually) a difficulty or obstacle; by association with sense 7 = to rise superior to, get over.
1483. Caxton, G. de la Tour, f iij. They surmounted many grete temptacions.
1600. Holland, Livy, XXXVIII. l. 1015. The very indignation and shame of this example surmounted the malice of his adversaries.
1683. Temple, Mem., Wks. 1720, I. 403. About which, the Swedes could not surmount the Difficulties during the Course of their Mediation.
1706. E. Ward, Wooden World Diss. (1708), 19. His Aversion is not so invincible, but it may be surmounted by a weighty Present.
1748. Anson’s Voy., III. ix. 398. He saw it would be impossible for him to surmount the embarasment he was under.
1780. Johnson, Lett. to Mrs. Thrale, 11 April. We have had very cold weather; bad riding weather for my master, but he will surmount it all.
1828. D’Israeli, Chas. I., I. ii. 23. Thus early Charles surmounted the obstacles which nature had cast in his way.
1844. H. H. Wilson, Brit. India, III. 118. After surmounting the embarrassment and delays inseparable from a deficient supply of conveyance.
† c. absol. or intr. To overcome, prevail. Obs.
c. 1400. trans. Secr. Secr., Gov. Lordsh., cxi. 111. Sweche er of þe nombre of hem þat surmounten and ouercomen.
c. 1477. Caxton, Jason, 78 b. The whiche assemblid in thys maner by grete pryde that surmounted on them.
4. trans. To mount, rise or ascend above (also fig.); also, to reach or extend above, surpass in height, be higher than, overtop. Now rare.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Boeth., IV. met. i. (1868), 110. I haue … swifte feþeres þat surmounten þe heyȝt of þe heuene.
1423. James I., Kingis Q., lxxxvii. Sum for desyre, surmounting thaire degree.
1489. Caxton, Faytes of A., II. xxxv. 147. There ben so highe [engyns] that not onely they surmonten the walles but also the highest towres.
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, 1. The great Sothrenwood doth … surmount the heigth or stature of a tal man.
1633. P. Fletcher, Pisc. Ecl., III. iii. She the highest height in worth surmounts.
1664. Power, Exp. Philos., II. 91. Any time of the year it [sc. the quicksilver] will not much … surmount the … height … of 29 inches.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. xiii. 479/2. Mounts gradually surmounting each other.
1794. R. J. Sulivan, View Nat., I. 57. It is clear that the waters never surmounted those high summits, or at least remained but a short time upon them.
† b. To go back in date beyond. Obs. rare.
a. 1647. Habington, Surv. Worc. (Worc. Hist. Soc.), I. 77. A family whose ancestors surmounted for tyme of continewance theare the Conquest.
† 5. intr. To mount, rise, ascend (above something); to extend in height; fig. to exalt oneself; to arise, spring up. Obs.
1430–40. Lydg., Bochas, I. ii. (MS. Bodl. 263), 15/2. So hih a tour … Which that sholde surmounte aboue the skie.
a. 1475. Ashby, Dicta Philos., 397. Theim to supprise That wolde surmonte, or in vices arise.
c. 1475. Partenay, 2610. Ful gret ioy of hert in hym gan surmount.
1483. Caxton, G. de la Tour, d viij. The waters … surmounted by heyght of ten cubites upon the hyghest montayn.
1539. Tonstall, Serm. Palm Sund. (1823), 27. Disobedience of the deuyll, not kepynge the order of his creation, but surmountynge farre aboue it.
1563. Shute, Archit., F ij. If the piller surmount from 25 to .30. the height of the pillor must be deuided into .12 partes.
b. To amount to (so much). Obs.
In quot. 1551 a loose translation.
1551. Robinson, trans. More’s Utop., II. (1895), 116. Betwene thys two corners the sea runneth in … and there surmounteth into a large and wyde sea [orig. per ingens inane diffusum].
1576. Foxe, A. & M. (ed. 3), 102/1. The whole summe was founde to surmount to .294. yeares.
1599. Hakluyt, Voy., II. I. 293. Presents to the Viceroy and Bassas, which are said to surmount to twentie thousand dollers.
a. 1656. Ussher, Ann., VI. (1658), 439. The custom which in former times was farmed for ten hundred thousand drachma’s, scarce now surmounts to a hundred and fifty thousand.
† c. To result from addition; to arise or be produced from something. Obs.
1571. Digges, Pantom., II. v. M ij b. Adde all the sides of that Triangle together, taking halfe of the number which surmounteth.
1572. Will of W. Lyly (P. Prob. Reg., Bodfelde 4). All my goodes I will be solde, and the money that shal surmount of the same [etc.].
1654. Vilvain, Enchir. Epigr., I. xxvi. From which, they say, all mixtils doe surmount [orig. existunt].
6. trans. To mount upon, get on the top of; usually, to mount and cross to the other side of, climb across, get over; occas. to round or weather (a cape); also, to extend over and across.
a. 1533. Ld. Berners, Gold. Bk. M. Aurel., Prol. (1535), A j. [They] surmounted the hyghe mounte of Olympius, there to contemplate … the influences of the planettes in the heuen.
1585. T. Washington, trans. Nicholay’s Voy., I. i. 1. Hauing … surmounted the height and sharpnesse of the mount Rhodope. Ibid., II. i. 31 b. The sea which … casteth against [Cape] Malee, is such that without great labour … she is not to be recouered or surmounted.
1765. Museum Rust., IV. 250. The difficulty of surmounting obstacles by their shorter radii.
1819. J. Foster, Contrib. Eclectic Rev. (1844), I. 505. He would sometimes leap over the wall at a spring, in preference to taking the trouble to open the gate or surmount a stile just at hand.
1825. Scott, Talism., xii. The surmounting one crag only lifts the climber to points yet more dangerous.
1829. Chapters Phys. Sci., 357. Telescopes enable the eye to surmount immense distances.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., I. xii. 89. Simond surmounted the next ridge.
absol. 1843. Wordsw., Grace Darling, 53. Each grasps an oar, and struggling on they go—… alike intent Here to elude and there surmount.
7. To stand, lie or be situated above; to rest on the top of; to top, crown. Orig. in Heraldry, said of a crest above a shield, also of a charge represented as laid upon another so as to extend across and beyond it. Chiefly in pa. pple.: surmounted by = having above or on the top.
1610. Guillim, Heraldry, VI. vii. 280. A rich Mantle of cloth of Gold, doubled Ermine,… surmounted by a Lion passant, gardant.
1634. Peacham, Compl. Gentl., xv. 192. A fesse engrailed Argent surmounted by another not engraild Gules.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, II. vii. 148/1. Two Reynards or Foxes counter saliant, the dexter surmounted of the sinister Gules. Ibid., 198/1. A Serpent Imbowed, the head debrused (or surmounted) of the tail. Ibid., xix. 479/1. Thre Swans Necks … surmounting (or debrusing) each other.
1820. W. Irving, Sketch Bk., II. 58 (Christmas Eve). The huge square columns that supported the gate were surmounted by the family crest.
1856. Stanley, Sinai & Pal., iii. 167. The two domes … which surmount the Holy Sepulchre and the Basilica of Constantine.
1864. Boutell, Her. Hist. & Pop., vii. (ed. 3), 33. When a Canton and a Bordure are blazoned upon the same shield, the Canton surmounts the Bordure.
1869. Tozer, Highl. Turkey, I. 36. An artificial mound … with some indications of a wall having surmounted it.
1882. Cussans, Her., vi. (ed. 3), 86. In the case of one Ordinary lying on another, Surmounted by, or Over all is always used, and never Debruised by.
Hence Surmount sb. (rare–1), something that surmounts, something placed on the top; Surmountal (rare–1) [-AL 5], the act of surmounting or getting over.
1879. P. R. Drummond, Perth. Bygone Days, v. 24. Leaping a gate where there was a surmount of spikes like an inverted portcullis.
1886. J. W. Graham, Neæra (1887), II. xvi. 292. It was too lofty to afford any hope of surmountal.
