definitions

supererogate

[ soo-per-er-uh-geyt ]
/ ˌsu pərˈɛr əˌgeɪt /
|

verb (used without object), su·per·er·o·gat·ed, su·per·er·o·gat·ing.

to do more than duty requires.

Nearby words

superelastic, superelevated, superelevation, supereminent, superencipher, supererogate, supererogation, supererogatory, superette, superexcitation, superfamily

Origin of supererogate

1730–40; < Late Latin superērogātus (past participle of superērogāre to pay out in addition), equivalent to super- super- + ērogātus past participle of ērogāre to pay out, equivalent to ē- e-1 + rog(ere) to ask + -ātus -ate1

Related forms

su·per·er·o·ga·tion, nounsu·per·er·o·ga·tor, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for supererogate

  • But for all that, Horse Shoe, he wa'n't going to supererogate me, without getting as good as he sent.

    Horse-Shoe Robinson|John Pendleton Kennedy

  • To supererogate is to overpay, or to do more than duty requires.

    Write It Right|Ambrose Bierce

British Dictionary definitions for supererogate

supererogate

/ (ˌsuːpərˈɛrəˌɡeɪt) /

verb

(intr) obsolete to do or perform more than is required

Derived Forms

supererogator, noun

Word Origin for supererogate

C16: from Late Latin superērogāre to spend over and above, from Latin super- + ērogāre to pay out
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