sŭpĕro, āvi, ātum, 1, v. n. and a. [super].
I Neutr. , to go over , to rise above , overtop , surmount.
A Lit. (very rare; syn. transcendo): maximo saltu superabit gravidus armatis equus, surmounted , leaped the wall , Enn. ap. Macr. S. 6, 2 (Trag. v. 97 Vahl.): sol superabat ex mari, Plaut. Stich. 2, 2, 41: ripis superat mihi atque abundat pectus laetitia meum, id. ib. 2, 1, 6: jugo superans, passing over the summit , Verg. A. 11, 514: superat agger ad auras, Stat. Th. 4, 458: (angues) superant capite et cervicibus altis, Verg. A. 2, 219. —
B Trop. (freq. and class.).
1 To have the upper hand or superiority , to be superior , to overcome , surpass (syn. vinco): denique nostra superat manus, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 80: quā (sc. virtute) nostri milites facile superabant, Caes. B. G. 3, 14; 1, 40: numero militum, Liv. 29, 30, 8; cf.: numero hostis, virtute Romanus superat, id. 9, 32, 7: tantum superantibus malis, id. 3, 16, 4: sorte, id. 38, 36, 10: victor, superans animis, Verg. A. 5, 473: hostes equitatu superare, Nep. Ages. 3, 6: unde salo superant venti, Prop. 3, 5 (4, 4), 29: superat sententia Sabini, Caes. B. G. 5, 31: si superaverit morbus, Plin. Ep. 7, 1, 3.—
2 To exceed , be in excess , be superfluous; to be abundant , to abound (syn. supersum): in quo et deesse aliquam partem et superare mendosum est, Cic. de Or. 2, 19, 83: pecunia superabat? at egebas, id. Or. 67, 224: uter igitur est divitior? cui deest an cui superat? id. Par. 6, 3, 49: quis tolerare potest, illis divitias superare, nobis rem familiarem etiam ad necessaria deesse? Sall. C. 20, 11: cui quamquam virtus, gloria ... superabant, id. J. 64, 1: quae Jugurthae fesso superaverant, had been too much for , id. ib. 70, 2: de eo quod ipsis superat, Cic. Fin. 5, 15, 42: Quinto delegabo, si quid aeri meo alieno superabit et emptionibus, id. Att. 13, 46, 3: superabat umor in arvis, Lucr. 5, 804: superante multitudine, Liv. 3, 5: cum otium superat, id. 3, 17: num tibi superat superbia? Plaut. Am. 2, 2, 86: gentis superant tibi laudes, Tib. 3, 7, 28: dum superat gregibus juventas, Verg. G. 3, 63: si superant fetus, id. ib. 1, 189: quam facile tunc sit omnia impedire et quam hoc Caesari superet, non te fallit, perh. how exceedingly easy it would have been , Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 5, 3 dub.—
3 To be left over , to remain , survive (syn. supersum): quae superaverint animalia capta, immolant, Caes. B. G. 6, 17: quod superaret pecuniae, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 84, § 195: quae arma superabunt, Pompon. ap. Cic. Att. 8, 12, A, § 4; Plaut. Truc. 5, 49: nihil ex raptis commeatibus superabat, Liv. 22, 40, 8: pepulerunt jam paucos superantes, id. 22, 49, 5: si de quincunce remota est Uncia, quid superat? Hor. A. P. 328: sex superant versus, Prop. 4 (5), 2, 57: pars quae sola mei superabit corporis, ossa, Tib. 3, 2, 17; Plaut. Truc. prol. 20: superet modo Mantua nobis, Verg. E. 9, 27: uter eorum vitā superarit, whichever survives , Caes. B. G. 6, 19: quae superaverint animalia, id. ib. 6, 17: quid puer Ascanius? superatne et vescitur aurā? Verg. A. 3, 339: captae superavimus urbi, id. ib. 2, 643; Liv. 29, 7, 7: quid igitur superat, quod purgemus? id. 45, 24, 1.—
II Act. , to go or pass over , rise above; to mount , ascend; to surmount , overtop.
A Lit.
1 In gen.: in altisono Caeli clipeo temo superat Stellas, Enn. ap. Varr. L. L. 7, § 73 Müll. (Vahl. Enn. p. 119, om. stellas): tempestas summas ripas fluminis superavit, Caes. B. C. 1, 48: ventosum aequor, Ov. Ib. 591: fluvium, Luc. 4, 150: mare, Sen. Herc. Oet. 128: pedibus salsas lacunas, Lucr. 3, 1031: munitiones, Liv. 5, 8, 10: quas (Alpes) nullā dum viā superatas, id. 5, 34, 6; 21, 26, 4; 21, 30, 5; 21, 38, 1; 23, 45, 3: Tauro monte superato, id. 35, 13, 4: montes, Verg. G. 3, 270: Alpes cursu, Luc. 1, 183: immensa montium juga, Plin. Pan. 81, 1: Caucasum, Curt. 7, 3, 22: hoc jugum, Verg. A. 6, 676: fossas, id. ib. 9, 314: summi fastigia tecti Ascensu, id. ib. 2, 303; cf.: caprae gravido superant vix ubere limen, id. G. 3, 317: retia saltu (vulpes), Ov. M. 7, 767: tantum itineris, to traverse , pass over , Tac. Agr. 33: regionem castrorum, to go past or beyond , Caes. B. C. 1, 69; cf. Cic. Tusc. 1, 19, 43: insidias circa ipsum iter locatas, Liv. 2, 50, 6: collocatur in eo turris tabulatorum quae superaret fontis fastigium, but so as to overtop , command , Hirt. B. G. 8, 41: superat (Parnassus) cacumine nubes, Ov. M. 1, 317.—
2 In partic.
a Naut. t. t., to sail by or past a place, a promontory, etc.; to double or weather a point, etc.; promontorium, Lucil. ap. Serv. Verg. A. 1, 244; Auct. B. Afr. 62, 3; Liv. 26, 26, 1; 30, 25, 6; 31, 23, 3; Tac. A. 15, 46 et saep.: Euboeam, Nep. Them. 3, 3: cursu Isthmon, Ov. Tr. 1, 11, 5: intima Regna Liburnorum et fontem Timavi, Verg. A. 1, 244 Serv.— Poet., transf.: musarum scopulos, Enn. ap. Cic. Brut. 19, 76 (Ann. v. 223 Vahl.).—
b To rise above , exceed in height: ut alibi umbilico tenus aqua esset, alibi genua vix superaret, Liv. 36, 45, 9; cf.: posterior partes superat mensura priores, i. e. exceeds in size, Ov. M. 15, 378.—
B Trop., to surpass , excel , exceed , outdo , outstrip in any quality, in value, etc.
1 In gen.: non potest quaestus consistere, si eum sumptus superat, Plaut. Poen. 1, 2, 74: ne sumptus fructum superet, Varr. R. R. 1, 53: qui omnes homines supero atque antideo cruciabilitatibus animi, Plaut. Cist. 2, 1, 3: virtute, laude, dignitate, Cic. Planc. 2, 6 sq.: aut ingenio aut fortunā aut dignitate superari, id. Lael. 3, 11: omnes homines constantiā et gravitate, id. Fam. 1, 9, 16: doctrinā Graecia nos et omni litterarum genere superabat, id. Tusc. 1, 1, 3: auctoritatis pondere et utilitatis ubertate, id. de Or. 1, 44, 195; Hirt. B. G. 8, prooem. § 4: aliquem nobilitate, Ov. P. 3, 2, 56: Phoebum superare canendo, Verg. E. 5, 9: omnes scelere, Liv. 29, 8: aliquem dignitate vitae, Nep. Alcib. 11, 2: aliquem ingenio, id. Dion, 4, 1: duritiā ferrum, Ov. H. 2, 137: vel cursu superare canem vel viribus aprum, Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 51: omnes in ceteris artibus, Nep. Epam. 2, 2: summam spem civium incredibili virtute, Cic. Lael. 3, 11: non dubitabam, quin hanc epistulam multi nuntii, fama denique esset ipsa tua celeritate superatura, will outstrip , id. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 1.—
2 In partic., in milit. lang., to overcome , subdue , conquer , vanquish (syn. debello): victis hostibus, quos nemo posse superari ratu'st, Plaut. Am. 2, 2, 24: armatos ac victores, Caes. B. G. 1, 40: maximas nationes, id. ib. 3, 28; 2, 24: quos integros superavissent, id. B. C. 2, 5: bello superatos esse Arvernos et Rutenos a Q. Fabio Maximo, id. B. G. 1, 45: si Helvetios superaverint Romani, id. ib. 1, 17: Massilienses bis proelio navali superati, id. B. C. 2, 22: clam ferro incautum superat, Verg. A. 1, 350: bello superatus, Ov. M. 12, 364: Asiam bello, Nep. Ages. 4, 3: tota insula in unā urbe superata est, Flor. 2, 6.—
b Transf., in gen.: quem (C. Curium) nemo ferro potuit superare nec auro, Enn. ap. Cic. Rep. 3, 3, 6 (Ann. v. 220 Vahl.): in quo (genere officii) etiam si multi mecum contendent, omnes facile superabo, Cic. Fam. 5, 8, 4: si erum videt superare amorem, Plaut. Aul. 4, 1, 7: hanc (orationem) assidua ac diligens scriptura superabit, Cic. de Or. 1, 33, 150: si meam spem vis improborum fefellerit atque superaverit, id. Cat. 4, 11, 23: injurias fortunae facile veterum philosophorum praeceptis superabat, id. Fin. 4, 7, 17: pareatur necessitati, quam ne dii quidem superant, which even the gods are not above , not superior to , Liv. 9, 4, 16: casus omnes, Verg. A. 11, 244: superanda omnis fortuna ferendo est, id. ib. 5, 710: labores, id. ib. 3, 368: difficultates omnes, Vell. 2, 120, 4: cum incedendi nimietate jam superarer, Amm. 19, 8, 6.
XVII —Hence, sŭpĕrans , antis, P. a. *
A Rising high , prominent , high , lofty : mons superantissimus, Sol. 2 med. —*
B Prevailing , predominant : superantior ignis, Lucr. 5, 394.