surge Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a sudden forceful flow
    rush; upsurge; spate.
  2. noun a sudden or abrupt strong increase
    upsurge.
    • stimulated a surge of speculation
    • an upsurge of emotion
    • an upsurge in violent crime
  3. noun a large sea wave
    billow.
  4. verb rise and move, as in waves or billows
    heave; billow.
    • The army surged forward
  5. verb rise rapidly
    soar up; zoom; soar upwards; soar.
    • the dollar soared against the yen
  6. verb rise or move forward
    tide.
    • surging waves
  7. verb rise or heave upward under the influence of a natural force such as a wave
    scend.
    • the boats surged
  8. verb see one's performance improve
    • He levelled the score and then surged ahead

WordNet

Surge noun
Etymology
L. surgere, surrectum, to raise, to rise; sub under + regere to direct: cf. OF. surgeon, sourgeon, fountain. See Regent, and cf. Insurrection, Sortie, Source.
Definitions
  1. A spring; a fountain. Obs. "Divers surges and springs of water." Ld. Berners.
  2. A large wave or billow; a great, rolling swell of water, produced generally by a high wind.
    He that doubteth is like the surge of the sea driven by the wind and tossed. James i. 6 (Rev. Ver.)
    He flies aloft, and, with impetuous roar, Pursues the foaming surges to the shore. Dryden.
  3. The motion of, or produced by, a great wave.
  4. The tapered part of a windlass barrel or a capstan, upon which the cable surges, or slips.
Surge intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To swell; to rise hifg and roll.
    The surging waters like a mountain rise. Spenser.
  2. (Naut.) To slip along a windlass.
Surge transitive verb
Etymology
Cf. F. surgir to cast anchor, to land. Cf. Surge, n.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Surged ; present participle & verbal noun Surging
Definitions
  1. (Naut.) To let go or slacken suddenly, as a rope; as, to surge a hawser or messenger; also, to slacken the rope about (a capstan).

Webster 1913