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surpass

[ser-pas, -pahs] /sərˈpæs, -ˈpɑs/
verb (used with object)
1.
to go beyond in amount, extent, or degree; be greater than; exceed.
2.
to go beyond in excellence or achievement; be superior to; excel:
He surpassed his brother in sports.
3.
to be beyond the range or capacity of; transcend:
misery that surpasses description.
Origin of surpass
Middle French
1545-1555
1545-55; < Middle French surpasser, equivalent to sur- sur-1 + passer to pass
Related forms
surpassable, adjective
surpasser, noun
unsurpassable, adjective
unsurpassed, adjective
Synonyms
2. beat, outstrip. See excel.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2017.
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British Dictionary definitions for surpassable

surpass

/sɜːˈpɑːs/
verb (transitive)
1.
to be greater than in degree, extent, etc
2.
to be superior to in achievement or excellence
3.
to overstep the limit or range of: the theory surpasses my comprehension
Derived Forms
surpassable, adjective
Word Origin
C16: from French surpasser, from sur-1 + passer to pass
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word Origin and History for surpassable

surpass

v.

1550s, from Middle French surpasser "go beyond, exceed, excel," from Old French sur- "beyond" (see sur-) + passer "to go by" (see pass (v.)). Related: Surpassed; surpassing.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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