surfeit

▪ I. surfeit, n.
    (ˈsɜːfɪt)
    Forms: 4 surfeyte, sorfait, 4–5 surfaite, -feet, sorfete, 4–6 surfait, 4–8 surfet, 5 -fayte, -fett, -ffete, -phette, 5–6 -fete, -fette, 6 -fayt, -ffet, -fyt, -fecte, Sc. -phat, 6–7 surfit, 7 -ffett, 6– surfeit.
    [a. OF. sor-, surfait, -fet excess, surplus, = Pr. sobrefach:—pop.L. *superfactum, n. of action f. *superficĕre (cf. late L. superficiens excessive, OF. sorfaisant intemperate, immoderate), f. super- super- 9 b + facĕre to do, act.]
    1. Excess, superfluity; excessive amount or supply of something. (In later use only as fig. from 4.)

a 1300 Cursor M. 22884 (Cott.) Agh we þer-on to seke resun Hu he dos alkin thing to nait, Certes þat war bot surfait. 13.. Ibid. 23566 (Gött.) For if þai a-noþer heuen wroght, It war sur-fait [Cott. vnnait] and all for noght. c 1400 tr. Secr. Secr., Gov. Lordsh. 52 What kyng þat wille continue giftys yn surfaytes ouer þat his kyngdom wyl suffyse to hym. 1634 Sir T. Herbert Trav. 224 Surfet of presuming ignorance. 1663 Cowley Ode His Majesties Restor. v, 'Tis Happy, which no Bleeding does indure A Surfet of such Blood to cure.

1844 Gladstone Glean. V. lvii. 125 Nor is he..to be reproached either with want of charity or with surfeit of pride. 1847 Prescott Peru iii. viii. (1850) II. 168 The effect of such a surfeit of the precious metals was instantly felt on prices. 1889 Spectator 26 Oct., An abundance, nay, a surfeit, of works treating..of Scotland..have been printed.

    † 2. Action that exceeds the limits of law or right; (a) transgression, trespass, fault. Obs.

13.. Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 2433 In syngne of my surfet I schal se hit ofte. c 1430 Lydg. Min. Poems (Percy Soc.) 145 He took noon heed his surfetys to redresse. Ibid. 177 To do no surfet in woord nor in language. c 1450 Pol. Rel. & L. Poems (1903) 142 O ihesu, grant..That..thy .v. wowndis..May wach in vs all surfetis reproueable.

    3. (An) excessive indulgence, (an) excess. (In later use only as fig. from 4, 4 b.)

1387–8 T. Usk Test. Love ii. xiv. (Skeat) l. 58 This is the sorinesse of fayned love; nedes of these surfettes sicknesse muste folowe. 1422 Yonge tr. Secr. Secr. xxxiv. 186 Put away euery Surfete, and restrayne thy desyres. Ibid. lxix. 246 Trauaill of body, and company of women, a man may vse wyth-out surfaite. 1612 Two Noble K. iv. iii, That intemprat surfeit of her eye hath distemperd the other sences. 1635 A. Stafford Fem. Glory (1869) 20 [She] kept her soule from the surfets to which carnall delights invite all things humane. a 1680 Butler Rem. (1759) II. 73 Perpetual Surfeits of Pleasure have filled his Mind with bad and vicious Humours.

1847 Disraeli Tancred ii. xvi, All ends in a crash of iconoclastic surfeit. a 1865 in Tylor Early Hist. Man. iv. 74 She..would..shut herself up and ‘indulge herself in a surfeit of sounds’.

    4. Excessive taking of food or drink; gluttonous indulgence in eating or drinking. Also in fig. context.

1338 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 311 Feyntise, liþt duellyng, on mornes long to lie, Surfeyte in euenyng, & luf of licchorie. 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) IV. 329 Þese lyved lengest..for þey..dede noon surfeet of mete and of drynke. 1446 Lydg. Nightingale Poems ii. 266 Agenst glotenye he drank eysel and galle, To oppresse surfayte of vicious folkes alle. c 1470 Lydgate's Hors, Shepe, & G. (Roxb.) 27 In mete and drynke be thou mesurable, Beware of surfete and misgouernance. 1528 More Dyaloge i. Wks. 1147/2 The sykenes that foloweth our intemperate surfayt. c 1530 H. Rhodes Bk. Nurture in Babees Bk. (1868) 105 Eate without surfet. 1671 Milton Samson 1562 Feed on that first, there may in grief be surfet. 1684 Foxe's A. & M. III. 404/1 Fasting is only to avoid surfet.

    b. In particularized sense: An excessive indulgence in food or drink that overloads the stomach and disorders the system. Also in fig. context.

1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. v. 210 After al þis surfet an Accesse he hedde. 1377 Ibid. B. xiii. 405, [I] more mete ete and dronke þen kende miȝt defie—And kauȝte seknesse sumtyme for my sorfetes ofte. c 1430 Lydg. Min. Poems (Percy Soc.) 68 Suffre no surfetis in thy house at nyght, Ware of reresoupers. 1513 More Rich. III (1883) 34 With which disease nature being..weaked, waxeth the lesse able to beare out a new surfet. 1580 Lyly Euphues (Arb.) 252 Age seeketh rather a Modicum for sustenaunce, then feastes for surfets. 1647 Cowley Mistr., Agst. Fruition 29 Of very Hopes a surfeit he'll sustain, Unless by Fears he cast them up again. 1649 in Verney Mem. (1907) I. 447 It's possible to have a surfeit of water as well as wine. 1732 Arbuthnot Rules of Diet in Aliments etc. 269 The best Remedy after a Surfeit of Fruit. 1747 Wesley Prim. Physick (1762) p. xx, Strong Liquors do not prevent the Mischiefs of a Surfeit. 1851 Thackeray Eng. Hum., Swift (1853) 23 He was half⁓killed with a surfeit of Shene pippins.

    † c. The excessive amount eaten. Also in fig. context. Obs.

c 1400 tr. Secr. Secr., Gov. Lordsh. 67 Many þat withdrew hem froo etynges of surfaytz. c 1550 Lloyd Treas. Health a v, If it chance a dronken man sodenly to fal spechlesse, he shall..dye..excepte eyther he fall to an agew, or els he receyue his spech agayne at the houre when the surfyt is digestyd. 1582 Stanyhurst æneis ii. (Arb.) 54 Theire steed hath vpvomited from gorge a surfet of armdmen. 1601 Bp. W. Barlow Serm. Paules Crosse 62 Himselfe a surfet to the realme, to be spewed out iustly. 1640 G. Sandys Christ's Passion iii. 29 Let melting Stars their sulphrous surfet shed. 1700 Blackmore Job 87 His loathing stomach..Shall cast the precious surfeit up again.

    5. The morbid condition caused by excessive eating or drinking; sickness or derangement of the system arising from intemperance; † also applied more widely to fevers or fits arising from other causes. Also in fig. context.

a 1513 Fabyan Chron. vii. ccxxix. 260 Kynge Henry..toke a surfet by etynge of a lamprey, & therof dyed. 1589 Nashe Anat. Absurd. D ij b, More perrish with the surfet then with the sworde. 1589 [? Lyly] Pappe w. Hatchet in L.'s Wks. 1902 III. 398 Bastard Senior was with them at supper, and I thinke tooke a surfet of colde and raw quipps. 1606 G. W[oodcocke] Hist. Ivstine xxxvi. 115 He caught a surfet by the heat of the sun. 1631 R. Bolton Comf. Affl. Consc. (1635) 302 Hee drank not so indiscreetly..of that immeasurable sea as..to fall into a surfeit of security. 1655 Culpepper, etc. Riverius i. ii. 10 A surfet going before, with crude and sharp belchings. 1693 Locke Educ. §17 More Fevers and Surfeits are got by People's Drinking when they are hot, than by any one Thing I know. 1760–2 Goldsm. Cit. W. xv, He died of a surfeit caused by intemperance. 1837 Brit. Husb. II. 530 (Libr. Usef. Knowl.) They [sc. pigs] are..not uncommonly seized with surfeit and indigestion. 1871 G. H. Napheys Prev. & Cure Dis. i. i. 44 He died of a surfeit.

    b. An eruptive disease in horses and other animals, arising from immoderate feeding and other causes.

c 1720 W. Gibson Farrier's Guide ii. xii. (1738) 49 By a Surfeit is principally understood all such Maladies as proceed from immoderate feeding. 1753 J. Bartlet Gentl. Farriery 173 The wet surfeit..appears on different parts of the body of a horse. 1841 Dick Man. Vet. Sci. (1862) 148 An eruption which is called a Surfeit, or the Nettle-rash. 1846 J. Baxter Libr. Pract. Agric. (ed. 4) I. 454 When the coat of a horse stares, he is said to labour under a surfeit. The skin is covered with scurf and scabs... Sometimes the surfeit appears on the skin in small lumps. 1894 G. Armatage Horse in Health & Disease xxiv.

    6. Disgust arising from excess; nausea, satiety. to (a) surfeit: to satiety, ad nauseam.

1644 Howell Engl. Teares (1645) 175 God grant that people do not take at last a surfet of that most divine Ordinance of preaching. 1672 Marvell Reh. Transp. i. 116 He discourseth it at large, even to surfeit. 1683 Burnet tr. More's Utopia (1685) 99 They think the doing of it so often should give one a Surfeit of it. 1796 Burke Regic. Peace i. Wks. 1808 VIII. 148 Matter and argument have been supplied abundantly, and even to surfeit. 1822 Hazlitt Table-t. Ser. ii. xvi. (1869) 331 Do not make a surfeit of friendship, through over-sanguine enthusiasm. 1855 R. A. Wilson Mexico 51 He enjoys to a surfeit these bounties of nature. 1878 Browning Poets Croisic vii, Swords, scrolls, harps, that fill The vulgar eye to surfeit.

    7. Mining. = choke-damp.

1708 J. C. Compl. Collier (1845) 45 Some Collieries are very subject to this fatal Surfeit. 1812 J. Hodgson in J. Raine Mem. (1857) I. 97 This after-damp is called..surfeit by the colliers. 1883 Gresley Gloss. Coal-mining.

    8. attrib. and Comb., as surfeit suffocation; surfeit-gorged, surfeit-slain, surfeit-swelled, surfeit-swollen, surfeit-taking adjs.; † surfeit-water, a ‘water’ or medicinal drink for the cure of surfeit.

1693 Tate Dryden's Juvenal ii. 5 A Sot,..*surfeit-gorg'd, and reeking from the Stews.

1682 Otway Venice Preserved i. i, *Surfeit-slain fools.

1823 Lamb Elia Ser. ii. Amicus Redivivus, A case of common *surfeit suffocation.

1597 Shakes. 2 Hen. IV, v. v. 54 Such a kinde of man, So *surfeit⁓swell'd, so old, and so prophane.

1592 Nashe P. Penilesse Wks. (Grosart) II. 72 *Surfit-swolne Churles. 1746 Francis tr. Hor., Sat. ii. ii. 30 The pale, Surfeit-swoln guest.

1593 Shakes. Lucr. 698 So *surfet-taking Tarqvin fares.

1633 Ford 'Tis Pity iii. iv, Did you give her aught? An easy *surfeit-water, nothing else. 1757 A. Cooper Distiller iii. xvii. (1760) 173 There are two Kinds of Surfeit-water, one made by Distillation and the other by Infusion. 1801 Sporting Mag. XVIII. 22, I was obliged to take a little surfeit⁓water before I went to bed.

▪ II. ˈsurfeit, a. Obs. or arch.
    Also 6 surfett, -fat, sirfoot (?).
    [In sense 1, a. OF. surfet, -fait:—pop. L. *superfactu-s, pa. pple. of *superficĕre (see prec.). In sense 2, app. contracted from surfeited, ? after forfeit a.]
    † 1. Excessive; immoderate, intemperate. Sc. Obs.

1502 [implied in surfeitly]. 1533 Bellenden Livy i. xxii. (S.T.S.) I. 122 Þe said pepill..war movit aganis him for þe surfett spending of þare laubouris. 1535 Stewart Cron. Scot. (Rolls) II. 429 Surfat Drinking. 1542 Records of Elgin (New Spald. Cl. 1903) I. 73 The entres siluer dischargit to the said James for the surfet expensis maid be him in the Kingis servece. a 1578 Lindesay (Pitscottie) Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.) I. 102 Wexit and irkit..throw frequent heirschipis and surfeit raidis. 1597 Reg. Privy Council Scot. V. Introd. 67 Wine drunk in abundance,..sirfootfeats [? = surfeit feasts] casten abroad on the causey.

    † b. Of a horse: Suffering from surfeit. Obs.
    In quot. app. confused with scurvy.

1624 L. W. C. Disc. Age Horse C j b, For a Scurfet Horse. Take a quart of Beere or Ale..and give it him.

    2. Satiated, surfeited.

1699 Locke Educ. (ed. 4) §108 Childish Play..which they should be weaned from, by being made Surfeit of it. 1877 L. Morris Epic Hades i. 54, I hid my face within my hands, and fled, Surfeit with horror.

▪ III. ˈsurfeit, v.
    Forms: see the n.
    [f. surfeit n.: cf. forfeit v.]
    1. trans. To feed to excess or satiety; to sicken or disorder by overfeeding († or by unwholesome food). Also absol.

1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. xiv. 188 Ich see noone so ofte sorfeten soþliche so mankynde; In mete out of mesure and meny tymes in drynke. a 1578 Lindesay (Pitscottie) Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.) I. 13 Thay that ar maist furthie in the ingyring and surffetting thame sellffis. c 1645 Howell Lett. v. 30 The Fannian Law..allowes a chirping cup to satiet, not to surffet. 1747–96 H. Glasse Cookery iii. 17 Pork must be well done, or it is apt to surfeit. 1748 Anson's Voy. iii. ii. 311 The few [fish] we caught..having surfeited those who eat of them.

    † b. With away: To dissipate by excessive indulgence. nonce-use.

1607 Middleton Michaelm. Term ii. ii. 23, I..surfeited away my name and state In swinish riots.

    2. fig. or gen. To fill or supply to excess; to oppress or disgust with over-abundance of something.

1592 Nashe P. Penilesse (ed. 2) 4 Hauing..surfetted my minde with vanitie. 1600 Sir W. Cornwallis Ess. i. xxi. M v, Vpon occasion I would speake, but niggardly, and rather starue then surfet my Auditory. 1615 Chapman Odyss. ii. 582 When sleepe so surfeted Their leaden ey-lids. 1668–9 Pepys Diary 6 Mar., He is weary and surfeited of business. 1683 Apol. Prot. France Pref. p. ii, By over-stocking those populous Manufactures,..and by surfeiting the Land with people. 1742 Young Nt. Th. v. 260 With mixt manure she surfeits the rank soil. 1821 Lamb Elia Ser. i. My Relations, If you are not already surfeited with cousins. 1882 B. D. W. Ramsay Recoll. Mil. Serv. II. xvi. 140, I..had been surfeited with office-work. 1882 M. E. Braddon Mt. Royal II. xi. 246 My wife surfeits herself with poetry.

    3. intr. To eat or drink to excess of; to feast gluttonously or over-abundantly upon. (In early use more widely, including sensual indulgence in general.)

1422 Yonge tr. Secr. Secr. xxxiv. 186 Temporance, by the wiche a man kepyth and holdyth mesure in ettynge and drynkynge, and surfetyth not, as in women. Ibid. lxi. 237 Yf a man do surfete of mette and drynke, the kyndely hette shal be enfebelit. 1559 Mirr. Mag., Owen Glendour xxvii, Such..as fysh before the net Shal seldome surfyt of the pray they take. 1575 Laneham Let. (1871) 59, I haue seen him..so..surfit, az he hath pluct of hiz napkin, wyept his knife, & eat not a morsell more. 1632 Sanderson Serm. 443 Surfetting vpon the delicatest fishes. 1665 Boyle Occas. Refl. v. x. (1848) 338 Ev'n the wholesomest Meats may be surfeited on. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. iii. 789 He never supt in solemn State,..Nor surfeited on rich Campanian Wine. 1819 Shelley Masque of Anarchy xliii, Such diet As the rich man in his riot Casts to the fat dogs that lie Surfeiting beneath his eye. 1856 Kane Arctic Expl. II. xxvi, A merrier set of gourmands..never surfeited in genial diet.

    b. fig. To indulge in something to excess; to take one's fill, ‘feast’, ‘revel’. Now rare or Obs.

1586 Warner Alb. Eng. iv. xx. (1612) 98 Sweetely surfeiting in ioy. 1594 Drayton Ideas xxxiii, Whilst yet mine eyes doe surfet with delight. 1601 Shakes. Twel. N. i. i. 2 If Musicke be the food of Loue,..Giue me excesse of it; that surfetting, The appetite may sicken, and so dye. 1633 Bp. Hall Hard Texts Eccles. xi. 8 He shall have no lust to surfet of these things. 1655 Fuller Ch. Hist. ii. ii. §26 Piety is most healthful..where it can least surfeit of Earthly Pleasures. 1658 Dekker, etc. Witch of Edmonton i. i. Wks. 1873 IV. 355 We will surfeit in our embraces, Wench. 1707 Prior Satire Poets 153 Starving for Meat, not surfeiting on Praise. 1832 Examiner 673/2 The laity have done much wrong to the clergy in allowing it to cram, and surfeit, and pall, and hebetate, with forbidden wealth.

    4. To suffer the effects of over-feeding; to fall sick in consequence of excess († or by eating unwholesome food). Now rare or Obs.

1585 Sandys Serm. x. §7. 156 Let vs returne no more to the flesh pots of Egypt, let vs not lust after quailes: for if wee feede vpon them, we shall surfet of them to our destruction. 1596 Shakes. Merch. V. i. ii. 6 They are as sicke that surfet with too much, as they that starue with nothing. 1624 Capt. J. Smith Virginia iv. 148 They spared no vncleane..beast,..but eat them vp also..; and by this meanes their whole Colony well-neere surfeted, sickned and died. 1700 Locke Hum. Und. (ed. 4) ii. xxxiii. §7 A grown Person surfeiting with Honey, no sooner hears the Name of it, but his Phancy..carries Sickness..to his Stomach. 1760–2 Goldsm. Cit. W. xv, If an epicure..shall happen to surfeit on his last night's feast.

    b. fig. or gen. To suffer from over-abundance; to become disgusted or nauseated by excess of something; to grow sick of. Now rare or Obs.

1605 A. Warren Poore Mans Passion cxiii. E iij, Some Vsurer..Whose gorged chests surfet with cramming gold. 1607 Chapman Bussy D'Ambois ii. i. 15 The slenderest pittance of commended vertue, She surfets of it. 1640 Quarles Enchirid. iii. 2 Be not too fond, lest she surfeit. a 1668 R. Lassels Voy. Italy (1670) I. Pref., Traveling preserves my yong nobleman from surfeiting of his parents. a 1700 Evelyn Diary 4 Oct. 1683, Surfeiting of this, I..went contented home to my poor, but quiet villa. 1719 De Foe Crusoe (Globe) 321 The Man of Pleasure..surfeited of his Vice. 1814 Cary Dante, Inf. xix. 57 So early dost thou surfeit with the wealth.

    † 5. To trespass, transgress. (Cf. surfeit n. 2.)

c 1440 Promp. Parv. 484/2 Surfetyn, or forfetyn yn trespace, forefacio, delinquo.

Oxford English Dictionary