surge
(sûrj)
[Probably French sourdre, sourge- (from Old French), and French surgir, to rise (from Old French, to cast anchor) (from Old Catalan), both from Latin surgere, to rise, sub-, from below; see sub–, + regere, to lead straight.]
verb: surged, surg·ing, surg·es.
intransitive verb
- To rise and move in a billowing or swelling manner.
- To roll or be tossed about on waves, as a boat.
- To move like advancing waves: The fans surged forward to see the movie star.
- To increase suddenly: As favorable reviews came out, interest in the software surged.
- To improve one's performance suddenly, especially in bettering one's standing in a competition.
- Nautical To slip around a windlass. Used of a rope.
transitive verb
Nautical
- To loosen or slacken (a cable) gradually.
noun
- A heavy billowing or swelling motion like that of great waves.
- Wave motion with low height and a shorter period than a swell.
- A coastal rise in water level caused by wind.
- The forward and backward motion of a ship subjected to wave action.
- A sudden onrush: a surge of joy.
- A period of intense effort that improves a competitor's standing, as in a race.
- A sudden, transient increase or oscillation in electric current or voltage.
- An instability in the power output of an engine.
- Astronomy A brief, violent disturbance occurring during the eruption of a solar flare.
- Nautical
- The part of a windlass into which the cable surges.
- A temporary release or slackening of a cable.
