▪ I. † ˈsurcharge, n.1 Sc. Obs.
Also sowrcharge.
[Variant (formed by substitution of prefix sur-) of subcharge, sense 1, or sucharge (see quot. 1489 below, and Cath. Angl. 371/1 ‘A Sucharge, impomentum’).]
An additional or second dish or course. Also fig.
| 1489 Barbour's Bruce xvi. 458 (Edinb. MS.) That sowrchargis [Camb. MS. sucharge, ed. Hart subcharge] to chargand wes. c 1500 Kennedy Passion of Christ 258 Till all his sair he soucht na saw bot ane, The quhilk wes ded, as surcharge till his sorrow. 1500–20 Dunbar Poems lxvii. 19 Off quhais subchettis [v.r. quhois surcharge] sour is the sals. |
▪ II. surcharge, n.2
(ˈsɜːtʃɑːdʒ)
[f. next, or ad. F. surcharge (from 16th c.): see sur- and charge n.]
1. a. A pecuniary charge in excess of the usual or just amount; an additional or excessive pecuniary charge; = overcharge n. 2.
| 1601 F. Tate Househ. Ord. Edw. II. §67. (1876) 48 So as the cuntry..may not wax deere by surcharge without reson. 1646 W. Hughes Mirr. Justices i. §5 Sherriffs, who too high charge the people, by a surcharge upon the people of horses, or of doggs. 1686 tr. Chardin's Coronat. Solyman 95 She besought him to remit the Surcharge which he had laid upon the poor Armenians. 1812 Sporting Mag. XXXIX. 101 A surcharge made on him for 10l. 1838 Arnold Hist. Rome I. xvii. 351 It might happen..that no property tax was levied, and in that case the censor's surcharge, or over valuation, would have been inoperative. 1896 Allbutt's Syst. Med. I. 486 A history of fistula..does not call for surcharge [in life assurance]. |
b. Equity. The act of showing an omission in an account, or a statement showing this: cf. surcharge v. 1 b.
| a 1700 Evelyn Diary 8 Apr. 1687, The accompt was at last brought to one article of the surcharge, and referr'd to a Master. 1754 Ld. Hardwicke in Vezey Reports (1773) II. 566 The court takes it as a stated account, and establishes it: but if any of the parties can shew an omission, for which credit ought to be, that is a surcharge: or if any thing is inserted, that is a wrong charge, he is at liberty to shew it, and that is falsification. 1884 Law Rep. 27 Chanc. Div. 111 The Defendant carried in a complete account, and the Plaintiffs carried in a surcharge. |
c. A charge made by an auditor upon a public official in respect of an amount improperly paid by him: cf. surcharge v. 1 c.
| 1879 Daily News 25 Mar. 4/6 They charge interest on the advances, and this interest the auditor has disallowed. It would therefore fall on the members of the Board as a surcharge. |
2. Law. (tr. law-L. superoneratio.) The overstocking of a common or forest: see surcharge v. 2. Obs. exc. Hist.
| 1569 in S'hampton Crt. Leet Rec. (1905) I. 53 To y⊇ greate Surchardge of y⊇ said comon. 1598 J. Manwood Lawes Forest xiv. 84 To inquire..what number of Acres, the place of Common, wherein the surcharge is supposed to be made, doth containe. a 1634 Coke Inst. ii. (1642) 370 A writ de secunda superoneratione lyeth..onely against them, against whom the writ was brought, and which were particularly charged with surcharge in the writ. Ibid. iv. lxxiii. (1648) 293 Surcharge of the Forest [see surcharge v. 2]. 1768 Blackstone Comm. iii. xvi. 239 If, after the admeasurement has thus ascertained the right, the same defendant surcharges the common again, the plaintiff may have a writ of second surcharge, de secunda superoneratione, which is given by the statute Westm. 2. 13 Edw. I. c. 8. 1797 Jacob Law Dict., Surcharge of Common. |
3. An additional or excessive ‘charge’, load, burden, or supply (of something material or immaterial); = overcharge n. 1.
| 1603 Florio Montaigne i. ii. (1632) 3 Being otherwise full, and over-plunged in sorrow, the least surcharge brake the bounds and barres of patience. 1603 Holland Plutarch's Mor. 200 Adding as it were some olde surcharge to their toils and fooleries. 1605 Bacon Adv. Learn. ii. To the King §14 The great quantitie of Bookes maketh a shewe..of superfluitie.., which surcharge neuerthelesse is not to be remedied by making no more bookes, but by making more good books. 1626 ― Sylva §228 The Aire, after it hath receiued a Charge, doth not receiue a Surcharge, or greater Charge, with like Appetite, as it doth the first Charge. a 1683 Owen Chamber of Imagery viii. (1870) 34 The sending of missionaries, as they call them, or a surcharge of friars from their over-numerous fraternities. 1683 Burnet tr. More's Utopia ii. (1684) 125 When Nature is eased of any surcharge that oppresses it. 1746 Phil. Trans. XLIV. 712 After the Gun-barrel and Phial have been sufficiently excited,..the Surcharge is dissipated; so that the continuing the Motion..ever so long after the Saturation is complete, does not increase the electrical Force. 1769 Blackstone Comm. iv. 323 Any surcharge of punishment on persons adjudged to penance, so as to shorten their lives. 1803 Jefferson Writ. (1830) IV. 10 The surcharge of the learned, might in time be drawn off to recruit the laboring class of citizens. 1898 P. Manson Trop. Diseases xxii. 339 A surcharge of aliment and alcohol. |
4. The action of surcharging or condition of being surcharged; overloading.
| 1625 Bacon Ess., Plantations (Arb.) 534 Send Supplies..so, as the Number may liue well, in the Plantation, and not by Surcharge be in Penury. 1793 Beddoes Calculus 204 Preventing the surcharge of oxygene in the blood. 1799 Med. Jrnl. II. 385 Cases of surcharge, retention, or indigestion. 1822–7 Good Study Med. (1829) IV. 645 Atonic apoplexy..is more a result of vascular debility than of vascular surcharge. 1882 Bain Jas. Mill vi. 304 Mill, whose mind was..in a state of surcharge upon the question of free enquiry. |
5. An additional mark printed on the face of a postage-stamp, esp. for the purpose of changing its face value.
| 1881 Stamp-Collector's Ann. 15 In that of 10 cents the surcharge is found sometimes with and sometimes without the word cents. Ibid. 24 The V.R. surcharge was also imitated. 1914 F. J. Melville Postage Stamps 19 The..most important of the additions to a stamp is the ‘overprint’ or ‘surcharge’. |
6. Ceramics. ‘A painting in a lighter enamel over a darker one which forms the ground’ (Cent. Dict. 1891).
7. Civil Engin. a. The part of a load that is above the horizontal plane containing the top of a retaining wall. b. A load placed upon uncompacted material to compress it.
| 1881 Van Nostrand's Mag. XXV. 336/2 The author found a wall of slag blocks having a batter of 1/5 of the height, and an effective thickness of 1 foot sustained a bank of broken slag 10 feet high, with a surcharge of some 5 feet more. 1930 Engineering 30 May 689/3 The heavy 24-in. steel beam..was intended for applying a surcharge to the filling in the bin. 1967 C. A. O'Flaherty Highways xii. 597 A surcharge of uncompacted material is added on top [of the embankment] to accelerate the outflow of water and the compaction of the underlying compressible material. |
▪ III. surcharge, v.
(sɜːˈtʃɑːdʒ)
[a. OF. surcharger: see sur- and charge v. Cf. Pr., Sp. sobrecargar, It. sopraccaricare, Pg. sobrecarregar.]
1. trans. To charge (a person) too much as a price or payment; to overburden with expense, exactions, etc.; to subject to an additional or extra charge or payment.
| 1429 Rolls of Parlt. IV. 352/1 Diverse Customers..standen surcharged, and in weie to be surcharged in hire accomptes. 1475 Bk. Noblesse (Roxb.) 75 How that men usurpen..in surchargeyng them unduelie. 1587 Harrison England ii. xiii. (1877) i. 260 To surcharge the rest of the parish, & laie more burden vpon them. 1655 Fuller Ch. Hist. ix. vi. §8 John Whitgift succeeding in the Arch-Bishoprick, found it much surcharged in the valuation. a 1700 Evelyn Diary 17 Sept. 1655, The taxes were so intollerable..surcharged as that county had been..during our unnatural war. 1798 Anti-Jacobin 1 Jan., And sorely to surcharge the Duke I trowe he was ne slack. 1812 Examiner 7 Sept. 570/2 The Surveyor..for Assessed Taxes..surcharges him. 1845 M{supc}Culloch Taxation i. iv. (1852) 127 On this principle, farmers who are undertaxed should be surcharged. |
b. Equity. To show an omission in (an account); absol. to show that the accounting party ought to have charged himself with more than he has.
| 1754 Ld. Hardwicke in Vezey Reports (1773) II. 566 A liberty to surcharge and falsify these several stated accounts. 1826 Wheaton Rep. Cases Supreme Crt. U.S. XI. 256 If..the defendant plead..a settled account, the plaintiff may surcharge, by alleging and proving omissions in the account, or may falsify, by showing errors in some of the items stated in it. |
c. To make a charge upon (a public official or body) in respect of an amount improperly paid by him; hence, to disallow (an item of expenditure in an account).
| 1885 Manch. Exam. 13 Apr. 5/3 The Auditor had given notice to the Guardians..of his intention to surcharge them with an amount of {pstlg}157. 1885 M. Stanhope Sp. Ho. Commons 11 Aug., If any item of expenditure is illegal it is liable to be surcharged by the auditor. 1901 Westm. Gaz. 11 Jan. 3/2 The School Board was surcharged by the auditor in 1885 in respect of illegal Science and Art classes. |
2. Law. To overstock (a common, etc.) by putting more cattle into it than the person has a right to do or than the pasture will sustain. Also absol. Obs. exc. Hist.
| 1480 Cov. Leet Bk. 456 That the lawe of the lande ys that the lorde of the soyle may surcharge and put þerin what noumber hit lykes. a 1500 Brome Bk. 164 Ȝe schall enquere..ȝef ony mane surchargeth yowre comune. 1598 J. Manwood Lawes Forest xiv. 83 If he..do surcharge the comon with so many beasts, that the wild beasts of the kings Forrest can not haue sufficient feed there. a 1634 Coke Inst. iv. lxxiii. (1648) 293 Surcharge of the Forest. Superoneratio Forestæ, is when a Commoner in the Forest putteth on more Beasts than he ought, and so surchargeth the Forest. a 1776 in Burrow Reports IV. 2431 Where a Commoner was intitled to Common for a certain Number of Cattle..there if he surcharged, another Commoner might distrain. |
3. To put an additional or excessive (physical) burden or weight upon; to overload, weigh down.
| 1582 Stanyhurst æneis ii. (Arb.) 60 When shee shaw Priamus yoouthlyk surcharged in armoure. 1600 Holland Livy vii. xxiii. 265 The Gaules being surcharged with dartes either sticking through their bodies, or fast set in their shields, and so weighing them downe. c 1600 Davison Ps. xxiii. in Farr S. P. Eliz. (1845) II. 320 Thou my board with messes large Dost surcharge. 1603 Knolles Hist. Turks (1621) 33 As was the greatest servant of Christ, Peter, surcharged with two chaines. 1667 Milton P.L. v. 58 O fair Plant,..with fruit surcharg'd, Deigns none to ease thy load and taste thy sweet? 1671 ― Samson 728 Like a fair flower surcharg'd with dew. 1706 J. Philips Cerealia 125 Whilst black pots walk the round with laughing Ale Surcharg'd. 1753 Richardson Grandison (1781) VI. liii. 347 Her eyes..surcharged, as I may say, with tears of joy. 1811 Glenbervie Jrnls. (1910) 138 A round hat surcharged with feathers. 1869 Spurgeon Treas. Dav. Ps. xxv. 17 A lake surcharged with water by enormous floods. |
b. With reference to surfeit of food or drink. Also fig.
| 1603 Knolles Hist. Turks (1638) 182 The defendants of the Castle..surcharged themselues..with excesse both of meat and drink. 1622 Venner Via Recta viii. (ed. 2) 190 They..greatly erre..that..presse and surcharge their bodies with ouer-much meat. a 1644 Quarles Sol. Recant. Sol. xi. 79 Thou mayst surcharge as well as sterve The soile; But wise men know what seed will serve. 1784 Cowper Tiroc. 20 Still to be fed, and not to be surcharged. |
c. To charge to excess with moisture, a substance in solution, or the like.
| 1611 Speed Theat. Gt. Brit. xix. (1614) 37/1 The Fenny [soil] surcharged with waters. 1771 Smollett Humph. Cl. 4 July, A gross stagnated air, surcharged with damps from vaults. 1798 Surv. Prov. Moray iii. 127 All the water seems surcharged with iron. 1803 Malthus Popul. ii. ii. (1806) I. 339 The seeds with which every wind is surcharged sow the ground thickly with firs. 1815 J. Smith Panorama Sci. & Art II. 261 The whole of the identical electricity that surcharges one side of a phial. 1816 Wordsw. French Army in Russia ii. 7 Winter's breath surcharged with sleety showers. 1849 R. T. Claridge Cold Water Cure 109 When the body is surcharged with heat. 1867 Lyell Princ. Geol. (ed. 10) I. ii. xv. 330 Winds blowing from the sea are generally surcharged with moisture. 1897 Allbutt's Syst. Med. III. 163 The blood..was always found surcharged with urates. |
| fig. 1884 Manch. Exam. 17 May 4/7 Such words..are surcharged with a certain amount of invidiousness. |
4. In non-physical senses: To weigh down, overburden; to bear heavily upon.
| 1581 Lambarde Eiren. i. ix. (1602) 41 The Commission of the peace..surcharged with vaine recitals. 1592 Kyd Sp. Trag. iii. vii, Mine exclaimes, that haue surcharged the aire With ceasles plaints. 1611 Speed Theat. Gt. Brit. xxxix. (1614) 78/2 Surcharged and over-worne with the troublesome toyles..of warre. 1635 Jackson Creed viii. ii. §2 To surcharge our ordinary humane conditions with the extraordinary estate of a servant..this was that unexpressible humiliation. 1643 Milton Divorce v. 11 When human frailty surcharg'd, is at such a losse. a 1684 Leighton Comm. I Pet. iii. 15 The greatest affairs surcharge him [sc. God] not and the very smallest escape him not. |
b. To oppress or overwhelm (with emotion, sorrow, or suffering).
| 1566 Drant Wail. Hieremie v. in Horace etc. L ij, Our hearte with sadnesse is surchargde. 1588 Greene Pandosto (1843) 23 Surcharged before with extreame joy and now suppressed with heavie sorrowe. 1590 Marlowe 2nd Pt. Tamburl. iii. i, Ioue surchardg'd with pity of our wrongs. 1647 Ward Simple Cobler (1843) 54 My heart is surcharged, I can no longer forbear. a 1649 Drummond of Hawthornden Poems Wks. (1711) 32 Sur-charg'd with grief, fraught with annoy. 1667 Milton P.L. xii. 373 Discerning Adam with such joy Surcharg'd. 1804 Wordsw. Vaudracour & Julia 50 Till his spirit sank, Surcharged, within him. 1835 Marryat Jacob Faithful xviii, My heart was too much surcharged..my grief found vent. 1904 M. Hewlett Queen's Quair ii. x, Had she been less charged with them [sc. troubles] she had been warier; but she was indeed surcharged. |
c. pass. To have an excess of inhabitants, inmates, or members.
| 1572 Act. 14 Eliz. c. 5 §40 Yf it shall chaunce any Cytie..to have in yt moore poore Folkes then the Inhabitauntes thereof shalbe able to releve..uppon Certyfycate thereof made, and of the number and names of the persones with which they be so surchardged, [etc.]. 1637 Earl Stirling Domes-day v. v, Else th' earth surcharg'd would starve her nurslings soon. 1667 Milton P.L. ii. 836 Least Heav'n surcharg'd with potent multitude Might hap to move new broiles. 1793 Gouv. Morris in Sparks Life & Writ. (1832) II. 370 Already the prisons are surcharged. 1837 P. Keith Bot. Lex. 146 This analysis brings him down to the several classes of the first grand group, which, from their number, are prevented from being surcharged with too many tribes or families. 1913 Frazer Scapegoat v. 226 An atmosphere surcharged with devils. |
† 5. To make an overwhelming attack upon: see charge v. 22. Obs.
| 1588 Kyd Househ. Philos. Wks. (1901) 239, I beheld a little Kidde surchargd, pursued, and anon ouertaken by two swift Grey-hounds. 1596 Spenser F.Q. iv. ix. 30 Foure charged two, and two surcharged one. |
6. To print an additional mark on the face of (a postage-stamp), esp. for the purpose of changing its value.
| 1870 J. E. Gray Catal. Postage Stamps (ed. 5) 169 Value surcharged in coloured ink. 1870 Routledge's Ev. Boy's Ann. Feb., Suppl. 3/1 Current adhesives, surcharged with service. 1881 Stamp-Collector's Ann. 14 A new value of 8 cents has been created by surcharging the 12 cents with 8 cents in black. Ibid. 16 A 50 reis stamp, green,..surcharged Guine in black. |
Hence surˈcharging vbl. n. (also attrib.).
| 1598 J. Manwood Lawes Forest xiv. 82 The surcharging of the Forrest with more beasts then they may Common withall. 1602 Carew Cornwall i. 23 b, Let not the owners commendable industrie, turne to their surcharging preiudice. 1622 E. Misselden Free Trade 130 The Sur-charging of the Cloth Trade. 1768 Blackstone Comm. iii. xvi. 238 This injury by surcharging can properly speaking only happen, where the common is appendant or appurtenent. 1881 Stamp-Collector's Ann. 16 By the last mail we are informed that the surcharging has again ceased. 1889 Spectator 27 Apr. 568/1 Easements in that direction will only tend to the surcharging of rents. |