super-

a prefix occurring originally in loanwords from Latin, with the basic meaning “above, beyond.” Words formed with super-, have the following general senses: “to place or be placed above or over” ( superimpose; supersede ), “a thing placed over or added to another” ( superscript; superstructure; supertax ), “situated over” ( superficial; superlunary ) and, more figuratively, “an individual, thing, or property that exceeds customary norms or levels” ( superalloy; superconductivity; superman; superstar ), “an individual or thing larger, more powerful, or with wider application than others of its kind” ( supercomputer; superhighway; superpower; supertanker ), “exceeding the norms or limits of a given class” ( superhuman; superplastic ), “having the specified property to a great or excessive degree” ( supercritical; superfine; supersensitive ), “to subject to (a physical process) to an extreme degree or in an unusual way” ( supercharge; supercool; supersaturate ), “a category that embraces a number of lesser items of the specified kind” ( superfamily; supergalaxy ), “a chemical compound with a higher proportion than usual of a given constituent” ( superphosphate ).