surmount
[ ser-mount ]
/ sərˈmaʊnt /
verb (used with object)
to mount upon; get on the top of; mount upon and cross over: to surmount a hill.
to get over or across (barriers, obstacles, etc.).
to prevail over: to surmount tremendous difficulties.
to be on top of or above: a statue surmounting a pillar.
to furnish with something placed on top or above: to surmount a tower with a spire.
Obsolete.
- to surpass in excellence.
- to exceed in amount.
Nearby words
surinamese, surjection, surjective, surly, surmise, surmount, surmullet, surname, surpass, surpassing, surplice
Origin of surmount
Related forms
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for surmounting
British Dictionary definitions for surmounting
surmount
/ (sɜːˈmaʊnt) /
verb (tr)
to prevail over; overcometo surmount tremendous difficulties
to ascend and cross to the opposite side of
to lie on top of or rise above
to put something on top of or above
obsolete to surpass or exceed
Derived Formssurmountable, adjectivesurmountableness, nounsurmounter, noun
Word Origin for surmount
C14: from Old French surmonter, from sur- 1 + monter to mount 1
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for surmounting
surmount
late 14c., "to rise above, go beyond," from Old French surmounter "rise above," from sur- "beyond" (see sur-) + monter "to go up" (see mount (v.)). Meaning "to prevail over, overcome" is recorded from late 14c. Related: Surmounted; surmounting.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper