sundial (n.) Look up sundial at
sundog (n.) Look up sundog at
sundown (n.) Look up sundown at
sundries (n.) Look up sundries at
"various small things," 1755, plural of sundry (adj.) used as a noun. "[A] comprehensive term used for brevity, especially in accounts" [Century Dictionary].
sundry (adj.) Look up sundry at
Old English syndrig "separate, apart, special, various, distinct, characteristic," from sundor "separately, apart, asunder" (see sunder) + -y (2). Compare Old High German suntaric, Swedish söndrig "broken, tattered." Meaning "several" is from 1375. As a noun, from mid-13c. with the sense "various ones." Phrase all and sundry is from late 14c.
sunfish (n.) Look up sunfish at
1620s, from sun (n.) + fish (n.). Used of various species, with reference to round shape or brilliant appearance. Short form sunny is attested from 1835.
sunflower (n.) Look up sunflower at
1560s, "heliotrope," from sun (n.) + flower (n.). In reference to the Helianthus (introduced to Europe 1510 from America by the Spaniards) it is attested from 1590s, so called from the appearance of the heads.
sung Look up sung at
a past tense and past participle of sing (v.).
sunglasses (n.) Look up sunglasses at
glasses with darkened lenses to protect one's eyes while observing the sun, also sun-glasses, 1878, from sun (n.) + glasses. In popular (non-astronomy) use from 1916. Earlier sunglass (1804) meant a burning glass.
sunk Look up sunk at
a past tense and past participle of sink (v.).
sunken (adj.) Look up sunken at
late 14c., past participle adjective from sink (v.).
sunless (adj.) Look up sunless at
1580s, from sun (n.) + -less.
sunlight (n.) Look up sunlight at
c. 1200, from sun (n.) + light (n.). Compare Dutch zonlicht, German sonnenlicht.
sunlit (adj.) Look up sunlit at
1822, from sun (n.) + lit (adj.).
Sunni (n.) Look up Sunni at
1620s, from Arabic, "adherent of the Sunnah; Muslim who accepts the orthodox tradition as well as the Quran," from Sunna "traditional teachings of Muhammad" (not, like the Quran, committed to writing, but preserved from his lips by his disciples or founded on his actions), literally "way, custom, course, tradition, usage." Related: Sunnite.
sunny (adj.) Look up sunny at
"full of sun," early 14c., from sun (n.) + -y (2). Compare Dutch zonnig, German sonnig. Figurative sense of "cheerful" is attested from 1540s. Sunny side in reference to optimistic outlook is from 1831. Eggs served sunny side up first attested 1887, in lunch counter slang, in reference to appearance when served.
Young Man (in Park Row coffee-and-cake saloon)--Waiter, I want a beefsteak, unpeeled potatoes, and a couple of eggs fried on one side only!
Waiter (vociferously)--"Slaughter in the pan," "a Murphy with his coat on," an' "two white wings with the sunny side up!" ["Puck," April 27, 1887]
Related: Sunnily; sunniness. As a noun meaning "sunfish" from 1835.
sunrise (n.) Look up sunrise at
mid-15c., from sun (n.) + rise (v.); perhaps it evolved from a Middle English subjunctive, such as before the sun rise. Earlier in same sense were sunrist (mid-14c.); sunrising (mid-13c.). Compare sunset.
sunroof (n.) Look up sunroof at
of a car, by 1957, from sun (n.) + roof (n.). Originally on European models.
sunscreen (n.) Look up sunscreen at
1738 as an object to block the sun's rays, from sun (n.) + screen (n.). As a type of lotion applied to the skin, by 1954.
sunset (n.) Look up sunset at
late 14c., from sun (n.) + set (v.). Perhaps from a Middle English subjunctive such as before the sun set. Old English had sunnansetlgong "sunset," while sunset meant "west." Figurative use from c. 1600. To ride off into the sunset (1963) is from the stereotypical ending of cowboy movies.
sunshade (n.) Look up sunshade at
1842, from sun (n.) + shade (n.). Old English had sunsceadu "veil."
sunshine (n.) Look up sunshine at
sunspot (n.) Look up sunspot at
also sun-spot, 1849, in astronomy, from sun (n.) + spot (n.). Earlier "a spot on the skin caused by exposure to the sun" (1818).
sunstroke (n.) Look up sunstroke at
1807, from sun (n.) + stroke (n.); translating French coup de soleil. Related: Sun-stricken; sunstruck.
suntan (v.) Look up suntan at
sup (v.1) Look up sup at
sup (v.2) Look up sup at
sup- Look up sup- at
assimilated form of sub- before -p-.
super (adj.) Look up super at
"first-rate, excellent," 1837, from prefix in superfine (1680s), denoting "highest grade of goods," from Latin super "above, over, beyond" (see super-). Extended usage as a general term of approval is 1895 slang, revived by 1967. Rhyming reduplication form super-duper first attested 1940. Super Bowl attested from 1966; Super Glue from 1975; as a verb by 1983.
super- Look up super- at
word-forming element meaning "above, over, beyond," from Latin super-, from adverb and preposition super "above, over, on the top (of), beyond, besides, in addition to," from *(s)uper-, variant form of PIE *uper "over" (cognates: Sanskrit upari, Avestan upairi "over, above, beyond," Greek hyper, Old English ofer "over," Gothic ufaro "over, across," Gaulish ver-, Old Irish for), comparative of root *upo "under" (see sub-). In English words from Old French, it appears as sur-. The primary sense seems to have shifted over time from usually meaning "beyond" to usually meaning "very much," which can be contradictory. E.g. supersexual, which is attested from 1895 as "transcending sexuality," from 1968 as "very sexual."
super-ego (n.) Look up super-ego at
also superego, "that part of the psyche which controls the impulses of the id," 1924, as a translation of German über-Ich; see super- and ego.
superable (adj.) Look up superable at
"surmountable," 1620s, from Latin superabilis "that may be overcome," from superare "to overcome, surmount, go over, rise above," from super "over" (see super-) + -abilis (see -able). The negative formation insuperable is older and more common and superable may be a back-formation from it.
superabundance (n.) Look up superabundance at
early 15c., superaboundance, from Late Latin superabundantia, from present participle stem of Latin superabundare, from super (see super-) + abundare (see abound). Related: Superabundant; superabound.
superannuate (v.) Look up superannuate at
1640s, "render obsolete," back-formation from superannuated. Meaning "impair or disqualify by old age" is from 1690s. Related: Superannuating.
superannuated (adj.) Look up superannuated at
superannuation (n.) Look up superannuation at
1650s, noun of action from superannuate.
superb (adj.) Look up superb at
1540s, "noble, magnificent" (of buildings, etc.), from Latin superbus "grand, proud, splendid; haughty, vain, insolent," from super "above, over" (see super-). The second element perhaps is from PIE root *bhe- "to be." General sense of "very fine" developed by 1729. Related: Superbious (c. 1500); superbly.
supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Look up supercalifragilisticexpialidocious at
supercede (v.) Look up supercede at
see supersede. Related: Superceded; superceding.
supercharge (v.) Look up supercharge at
1919, originally of internal combustion engines, from super- + charge (v.). Related: Supercharged (1876); supercharger; supercharging.
superciliary (adj.) Look up superciliary at
1732, from Modern Latin superciliaris, from supercilium (see supercilious).
supercilious (adj.) Look up supercilious at
1520s, "lofty with pride, haughtily contemptuous," from Latin superciliosus "haughty, arrogant," from supercilium "haughty demeanor, pride," literally "eyebrow" (via notion of raising the eyebrow to express haughtiness), from super "above" (see super-) + second element akin to cilium "eyelid," related to celare "to cover, hide," from PIE root *kel- (2) "to conceal" (see cell).
Since cilium is more recent than supercilium, the former can be interpreted as a back-formation to the latter .... If indeed derived from the root *kel- 'to hide', we must still assume that a noun *kilium 'eyelid' existed, since the eyelid can 'hide' the eye, whereas the eyebrow does not have such a function. Thus, supercilium may originally have meant 'what is above the cilium'. [Michiel de Vaan, "Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages," Leiden, 2008]
Related: Superciliously; superciliousness.
supercilium (n.) Look up supercilium at
the eyebrow, 1670s, from Latin supercilium "an eyebrow; a ridge, summit;" figuratively "haughtiness, arrogance, pride" (see supercilious).
supercomputer (n.) Look up supercomputer at
1966, from super- + computer.
superconductor (n.) Look up superconductor at
1913, translation of Dutch suprageleider, coined by Dutch physicist Heike Kamerlingh Onnes (1853-1926). See super- + conductor.
supercontinent (n.) Look up supercontinent at
1963, from super- + continent (n.).
supererogation (n.) Look up supererogation at
1520s, "performance of more than duty requires," in Catholic theology, from Late Latin supererogationem (nominative supererogatio) "a payment in addition," noun of action from past participle stem of supererogare "pay or do additionally," from Latin super "above, over" (see super-) + erogare "pay out," from ex- "out" (see ex-) + rogare "ask, request" (see rogation).
supererogatory (adj.) Look up supererogatory at
1590s, from Medieval Latin supererogatorius, from supererogat-, stem of supererogare "pay or do additionally" (see supererogation).
superficial (adj.) Look up superficial at
superficiality (n.) Look up superficiality at
1520s, from superficial + -ity.