surge

[surj]

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noun

a strong, wavelike, forward movement, rush, or sweep: the onward surge of an angry mob.

a strong, swelling, wavelike volume or body of something: a billowing surge of smoke.

a sudden, strong increase or burst: a surge of energy; surges of emotion.

Military. a significant increase in the number of troops deployed to an area.

the rolling swell of the sea.

the swelling and rolling sea: The surge crashed against the rocky coast.

a swelling wave; billow.

Meteorology.

a widespread change in atmospheric pressure that is in addition to cyclonic and normal diurnal changes.
storm surge.

Electricity.

a sudden rush or burst of current or voltage.
a violent oscillatory disturbance.

Nautical. a slackening or slipping back, as of a rope or cable.

Machinery.

an uneven flow and strong momentum given to a fluid, as water in a tank, resulting in a rapid, temporary rise in pressure.
pulsating unevenness of motion in an engine or gas turbine.

verb (used without object), surged, surg·ing.

(of a ship) to rise and fall, toss about, or move along on the waves: to surge at anchor.

to rise, roll, move, or swell forward in or like waves: The sea surged against the shore. The crowd surged back and forth.

to rise as if by a heaving or swelling force: Blood surged to his face.

Electricity.

to increase suddenly, as current or voltage.
to oscillate violently.

Nautical.

to slack off or loosen a rope or cable around a capstan or windlass.
to slip back, as a rope.

Machinery. to move with pulsating unevenness, as something driven by an engine or gas turbine.

verb (used with object), surged, surg·ing.

to cause to surge or roll in or as in waves.

Nautical. to slacken (a rope).

Origin of surge

1480–90; perhaps < Latin surgere to spring up, arise, stand up

Related formsun·surg·ing, adjective

Can be confusedserge surge

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for surged

stream, swell, rise, flow, climb, grow, deluge, sluice, mount, billow, undulate, pour, swirl, eddy, gush, arise, ripple, tower, heave, roll

Examples from the Web for surged

Contemporary Examples of surged

Hordes of celebrants, swept by rain, surged over the five-year-old Brooklyn Bridge.
128 Years Old and Still a Looker: Happy Birthday to Lady Liberty
Elizabeth Mitchell
October 28, 2014
The response to the Ebola epidemic in West Africa has surged in the past few weeks, delivering more money, supplies, and doctors.
This New Ebola Test Is As Easy As a Pregnancy Test, So Why Aren’t We Using It?
Abby Haglage
October 3, 2014
Tonalist, with his fresh legs, surged past Commissioner to take the race by a nose.
Why California Chrome’s Fairy Tale Didn’t End Happily Ever After
Michael Fensom
June 8, 2014
Independents have surged from 15 percent to over 20 percent.
The GOP’s Long, Hard Road in California
Stuart Stevens
May 8, 2014
And as each conference has surged, there has been a different effect on the economy.
Want a Super Bowl Boost for the Economy? Root for Seattle.
Mark Lieberman
February 2, 2014

Historical Examples of surged

Instantly, Martin's cordiality vanished; his hostility toward her surged.
Dust
Mr. and Mrs. Haldeman-Julius
How we surged and panted, and fought one another for our sacred lives!
Meadow Grass
Alice Brown
Roma was lifted off her feet by the breaker of human beings201 that surged around.
The Eternal City
Hall Caine
Again the thoughts surged and surged, and the past intruded itself!
The Strollers
Frederic S. Isham
It burned and surged from my trembling fingers into the flesh of her forearm.
Astounding Stories of Super-Science, March 1930
Various

British Dictionary definitions for surged

surge

noun

a strong rush or sweep; sudden increasea surge of anger

the rolling swell of the sea, esp after the passage of a large wave

a heavy rolling motion or soundthe surge of the trumpets

an undulating rolling surface, as of hills

a billowing cloud or volume

nautical a temporary release or slackening of a rope or cable

a large momentary increase in the voltage or current in an electric circuit

an upward instability or unevenness in the power output of an engine

astronomy a short-lived disturbance, occurring during the eruption of a solar flare

verb

(intr) (of waves, the sea, etc) to rise or roll with a heavy swelling motion

(intr) to move like a heavy sea

nautical to slacken or temporarily release (a rope or cable) from a capstan or (of a rope, etc) to be slackened or released and slip back

(intr) (of an electric current or voltage) to undergo a large momentary increase

(tr) rare to cause to move in or as if in a wave or waves

Derived Formssurgeless, adjectivesurger, noun

Word Origin for surge

C15: from Latin surgere to rise, from sub- up + regere to lead

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

Word Origin and History for surged

surge

late 15c., "fountain, stream," probably from Middle French sourge-, stem of sourdre "to rise, swell," from Latin surgere "to rise," contraction of surrigere "to rise," from sub "up from below" + regere "to keep straight, guide" (see regal). Meaning "high, rolling swell of water" is from 1520s; figurative sense of "excited rising up" (as of feelings) is from 1510s.

surge

1510s, from surge (n.). Related: Surged; surging.

surged in Science

surge

[sûrj]

A coastal rise in water level caused by wind.