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sur

1 American  
[sur] / sɜr /

preposition

Law.

  1. upon; on the basis of.

    sur mortgage.
Sur 2 American  
[soor] / sʊər /

noun

  1. a town in S Lebanon, on the Mediterranean Sea: site of ancient port of Tyre.

sur- 3 American  

  1. a prefix meaning “over, above,” “in addition,” occurring mainly in loanwords from French and partial calques of French words.

    surcharge; surname; surrender; survive.
sur- 4 American  

  1. variant of sub- before r: surrogate.

Sur 1 British  
/ sʊə /

noun

  1. transliteration of the Arabic name for Tyre

"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
sur- 2 British  

prefix

  1. over; above; beyond Compare super-

    surcharge

    surrealism
"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
sur- 3 British  

prefix

  1. a variant of sub-

    surrogate
"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

Etymology

Origin of sur1

< French < Latin super super-

Origin of sur-3

Middle English < Old French < Latin super- super-

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Magda, the manager, helps me with a goat cheese, Mothais sur Feuille, wrapped in a fig leaf.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 10, 2025

“La vérité sur cette affaire est cruelle,” he said—“the truth is cruel.”

From Slate • Jul. 22, 2025

These will be international commemorations and Prince William will go to a ceremony at Omaha Beach, Saint Laurent sur Mer, which is expected to be attended by 25 heads of state.

From BBC • May 17, 2024

En Estados Unidos, la tormenta solar llevó las luces hasta el sur, y la oficina en Miami del Servicio Meteorológico Nacional informó que pudieron verse cerca de Fort Myers y Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

From Seattle Times • May 11, 2024

The standard French translation of ‘evidence-based medicine’ is médecine fondée sur les faits.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.