[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

surprise \surprise"\, n. f. surprise, fr. surprendre, surpris;
   sur over + prendre to take, l. prehendere. see sur-, and
   prehensile.
   1. the act of coming upon, or taking, unawares; the act of
      seizing unexpectedly; surprisal; as, the fort was taken by
      surprise.
      1913 webster

   2. the state of being surprised, or taken unawares, by some
      act or event which could not reasonably be foreseen;
      emotion excited by what is sudden and strange; a suddenly
      excited feeling of wonder or astonishment.
      1913 webster

            pure surprise and fear
            made me to quit the house.            --shak.
      1913 webster

   3. anything that causes such a state or emotion.
      1913 webster

   4. a dish covered with a crust of raised paste, but with no
      other contents. obs. --king.
      1913 webster

   surprise party, a party of persons who assemble by mutual
      agreement, and without invitation, at the house of a
      common friend. u.s. --bartlett.
      1913 webster

   syn: wonder; astonishment; amazement.
        1913 webster
see also:
sur- prehensile surprise party 

[2] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

surprise \surprise"\, v. t. imp.  p. p. surprised; p. pr. 
   vb. n. surprising. from surprise, n.: cf. f.
   surprendre, p. p. surpris.
   1. to come or fall suddenly and unexpectedly; to take
      unawares; to seize or capture by unexpected attack.
      1913 webster

            fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. --isa.
                                                  xxxiii. 14.
      1913 webster

            the castle of macduff i will surprise. --shak.
      1913 webster

            who can speak
            the mingled passions that surprised his heart?
                                                  --thomson.
      1913 webster

   2. to strike with wonder, astonishment, or confusion, by
      something sudden, unexpected, or remarkable; to confound;
      as, his conduct surprised me.
      1913 webster

            i am surprised with an uncouth fear.  --shak.
      1913 webster

            up he starts,
            discovered and surprised.             --milton.
      1913 webster

   3. to lead one to do suddenly and without forethought; to
      bring one into some unexpected state; -- with into; as,
      to be surprised into an indiscretion; to be surprised into
      generosity.
      1913 webster

   4. to hold possession of; to hold. obs.
      1913 webster

            not with me,
            that in my hands surprise the sovereignity. --j.
                                                  webster.
      1913 webster

   syn: see astonish.
        1913 webster
see also:
surprised surprising surprise astonish 

[3] : WordNet (r) 2.0

surprise
     n 1: the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected
          happens to you
     2: a sudden unexpected event
     3: the act of surprising someone syn: surprisal
     v 1: cause to be surprised; "the news really surprised me"
     2: come upon or take unawares; "she surprised the couple"; "he
        surprised an interesting scene"
     3: attack by storm; attack suddenly syn: storm
see also:
surprisal storm 

[4] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

138 moby thesaurus words for "surprise":
   admiration, amaze, amazement, ambush, assail, assault, astonish,
   astonishment, astound, astoundment, attack, awe, awestrike, bedaze,
   bedazzle, beguilement, bewilder, bewilderment, blitz, blockbuster,
   blow, boggle, bomb, bombshell, bowl down, bowl over,
   breathless wonder, bushwhack, capture, catch, catch off-guard,
   catch unawares, come at, come down on, come from behind,
   come upon unexpectedly, confound, crack down on, daze, dazzle,
   descend on, descend upon, discomfit, disconcert, discover, dismay,
   do the unexpected, drop in on, dumbfound, dumbfounder,
   dumbfoundment, earthshaker, eye-opener, fall on, fall upon,
   fascination, faze, flabbergast, floor, gang up on, go at, go for,
   grab, grasp, harry, have at, hit, hit like lightning, incredulity,
   joker, jolt, jump, kicker, land on, lay at, lay for, lay hands on,
   lay into, light into, marvel, marveling, mug, nonplus, overwhelm,
   paralyze, peripeteia, perplex, petrify, pitch into, pounce upon,
   pound, pull up short, puzzlement, rattle, revelation, rock,
   sail into, seize, sense of mystery, sense of wonder, set on,
   set upon, shock, shocker, sneak attack, spring a surprise,
   spring upon, stagger, staggerer, startle, startler, strike,
   strike dead, strike dumb, strike with wonder, stun, stupefaction,
   stupefy, surprisal, surprise attack, surprise ending,
   surprise package, surprise party, swan, switch, swoop down on,
   take, take aback, take by surprise, take short, take the offensive,
   take unawares, thunderbolt, thunderclap, wade into, waylay, wonder,
   wonderment

[5] : U.S. Gazetteer (1990)

surprise, az town, fips 71510
  location: 33.66411 n, 112.46845 w
  population 1990: 7122 5256 housing units
  area: 161.3 sq km land, 0.0 sq km water
  zip codes: 85374
surprise, ne village, fips 47850
  location: 41.10439 n, 97.30863 w
  population 1990: 55 26 housing units
  area: 1.0 sq km land, 0.0 sq km water
surprise, ny
  zip codes: 12176

[6] : U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000)

surprise, ne -- u.s. village in nebraska
   population 2000:    44
   housing units 2000: 22
   land area 2000:     0.399762 sq. miles 1.035380 sq. km
   water area 2000:    0.000000 sq. miles 0.000000 sq. km
   total area 2000:    0.399762 sq. miles 1.035380 sq. km
   fips code:            47850
   located within:       nebraska ne, fips 31
   location:             41.104403 n, 97.308948 w
   zip codes 1990:    
   note: some zip codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
   headwords:
    surprise, ne
    surprise

[7] : U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000)

surprise, az -- u.s. city in arizona
   population 2000:    30848
   housing units 2000: 16260
   land area 2000:     69.493923 sq. miles 179.988427 sq. km
   water area 2000:    0.018654 sq. miles 0.048314 sq. km
   total area 2000:    69.512577 sq. miles 180.036741 sq. km
   fips code:            71510
   located within:       arizona az, fips 04
   location:             33.651785 n, 112.397197 w
   zip codes 1990:     85374
   note: some zip codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
   headwords:
    surprise, az
    surprise

Surprise >> S Words
Surprise, definition of term: Surprise
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