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super- - 5 dictionary results

super-

 
Use super- in a Sentence
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).
Origin:
< L super (prep. and v. prefix) above, beyond, in addition, to an especially high degree; akin to Gk hypér (see hyper- ), Skt upari; see over
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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super-  
pref.  
  1. Above; over; upon: superimpose.
  2. Superior in size, quality, number, or degree: superfine.
    1. Exceeding a norm: supersaturate.
    2. Excessive in degree or intensity: supersubtle.
    3. Containing a specified ingredient in an unusually high proportion: superphosphate.
  4. More inclusive than a specified category: superorder.

[Latin, from super, over, above; see uper in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Super-

Su"per-\ [L. super over, above; akin to Gr. ?, L. sub under, and E. over. See Over, and cf. Hyper-, Sub-, Supra-, Sur-.]

1. A prefix signifying above, over, beyond, and hence often denoting in a superior position, in excess, over and above, in addition, exceedingly; as in superimpose, supersede, supernatural, superabundance.

2. (Chem.) A prefix formerly much used to denote that the ingredient to the name of which it was prefixed was present in a large, or unusually large, proportion as compared with the other ingredients; as in calcium superphosphate. It has been superseded by per-, bi-, di-, acid, etc. (as peroxide, bicarbonate, disulphide, and acid sulphate), which retain the old meanings of super-, but with sharper definition. Cf. Acid, a., Bi-, Di-, and Per-.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : super-
Spanish: guapísimo, estupendo, tremendo,
German: super…,
Japanese: すごい
More Translations »

super- 
from L. adverb and preposition super "above, over, on the top (of), beyond, besides, in addition to," from PIE base *uper "over" (cf. Skt. upari, Avestan upairi "over, above, beyond," Gk. hyper, O.E. ofer "over," Goth. ufaro "over, across," Gaul. ver-, O.Ir. for), comparative of base *upo "under."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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super- pref.

  1. Above; over; upon: superstructure.
  2. Superior in size, quality, number, or degree: supersonic.
  3. Exceeding a norm: supersaturate.
  4. Excessive in degree or intensity: superexcitation.
  5. Containing a specified ingredient in an unusually high proportion: superoxide.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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