sū̆prā (orig. form sŭpĕrā, Lucr. 1, 429; 4, 672; 5, 1407; Cic. poët. N. D. 2, 42, 106; cf. Prisc. pp. 980 and 1001 P.), adv. and prep. [superus].
I Adv., on the upper side , on the top , above.
A Lit., of place: omnia haec, quae supra et subter, unum esse dixerunt, Cic. de Or. 3, 5, 20: partes eae, quae sunt infra quam id, quod devoratur, dilatantur, quae autem supra, contrahuntur, id. N. D. 2, 54, 135: magno numero jumentorum in flumine supra atquo infra constituto, Caes. B. C. 1, 64; and: et mare, quod supra, teneant, quodque alluit infra, Verg. A. 8, 149: oleum supra siet, Cato R. R. 119; 101: cotem illam et novaculam defossam in comitio supraque impositum puteal accepimus, Cic. Div. 1, 17, 33: toto vertice supra est, i. e. is taller , Verg. A. 11, 683: ut letata corpora vidit Victoremque supra hostem, i. e. lying or stretched over them , Ov. M. 3, 56; cf.: stupet inscia supra, Verg. A. 7, 381.— Comp. : alia superius rapiuntur, upward , on high , Sen. Q. N. 5, 8, 3: piscina superius construenda, Pall. 1, 34, 2 (opp. subterius, Isid. 16, 8, 4).—
B Trop.
1 Of time, before , formerly , previously (esp. of any thing previously said or written): quae supra scripta est, Cato R. R. 157, 2: quod jam supra tibi ostendimus, Lucr. 1, 429: quae supra dixi, Cic. de Or. 3, 55, 208: quae supra scripsi, id. Fam. 6, 10, 2: quem supra deformavi, id. Caecin. 5, 14: uti supra demonstravimus, Caes. B. G. 2, 1: ut supra dixi, Cic. Rep. 2, 4, 9; id. Lael. 4, 15; 14, 48: ut supra scripsi, Plin. Ep. 6, 27, 5: de quo (filio) commemoravi supra, Nep. Dion, 6, 2: supra repetere, farther back , from past times , Sall. C. 5, 9; id. J. 5, 3; Tac. A. 16, 18.— Comp. : quantum valerent inter homines litterae, Dixi superius, before , farther back , Phaedr. 4, 23, 2: ut superius demonstravimus, Auct. B. Hisp. 28, 4; 34, 5.—
2 Of number or measure, beyond , over , more : supra adjecit Aeschrio, offered higher , more , Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 33, § 77: amor tantus ut nihil supra possit, id. Fam. 14, 1, 4: ita accurate, ut nihil posset supra, id. Att. 13, 19, 3: nihil pote supra, Ter. Ad. 264: voltu Adeo modesto, ut nihil supra, id. And. 120; id. Eun. 427: nihil supra Deos lacesso, Hor. C. 2, 18, 11.—After et or aut (poet. and post-class.): agrum fortasse trecentis Aut etiam supra nummorum milibus emptum, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 165: quot illum putas annos secum tulisse? Septuaginta et supra, Petr. 43 fin. : tricena aut supra stipendia numerantes, Tac. A. 1, 35: a triginta annis et supra, Vulg. Num. 4, 23; 4, 30; 4, 35 (cf. II. B. 2. infra).—
b With quam , less freq. quod , above or beyond what , more than : saepe supra feret, quam fieri possit, Cic. Or. 40, 139: corpus patiens inediae, algoris, vigiliae, supra quam cuiquam credibile est, Sall. C. 5, 3; id. J. 24, 5: dominandi supra quam aestimari potest avidissimus, Aur. Vict. Epit. 1 med. : supra quam optari potuit, Amm. 17, 1, 12: supra quod capere possum, Dig. 32, 1, 28.—
II Prep. with acc., above , over.
A Lit., of place: si essent, qui sub terrā semper habitavissent ... nec exissent umquam supra terram, Cic. N. D. 2, 37, 95: ille qui supra nos habitat, Plaut. Pers. 5, 2, 38: supra tribunal et supra praetoris caput, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 33, § 77: supra eum locum, Caes. B. C. 2, 9: supra se in summo jugo, id. B. G. 1, 24: accubueram horā nonā ... et quidem supra me Atticus, infra Verrius, Cic. Fam. 9, 26, 1: saltu supra venabula fertur, Verg. A. 9, 553: supra segetes Navigat, over the cornfields , Ov. M. 1, 295: attolli supra ceteros mortales, Plin. 34, 6, 12, § 27 (dub.; Jahn, super): supra lignum turba insilit, Phaedr. 1, 2, 20: ecce supra caput homo levis ac sordidus, i. e. burdensome , annoying , Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 2, 2, § 6; so, supra caput esse, to be close at hand , Sall. C. 52, 24; cf. Verg. A. 3, 194; Liv. 3, 17, 4; 4, 22, 6; Tac. H. 4, 69; Sen. Ep. 108; rarely supra capita, Liv. 42, 42, 6.—
2 In partic., of geographical position, above , beyond : supra Maeotis paludes, Enn. ap. Cic. Tusc. 5, 17, 49 (Epigr. v. 7, p. 163 Vahl.): supra Suessulam, Liv. 23, 32, 2: Syene oppidum, quod est supra Alexandriam quinque millibus stadiorum, Plin. 2, 73, 75, § 183; supra Britanniam, id. 2, 97, 99, § 217. —
B Trop.
1 Of time, before : paulo supra hanc memoriam, Caes. B. G. 6, 19; supra septingentesimum annum, Liv. praef. § 4.—
2 Of number, degree, or quantity.
α With numbers , = plus, amplius (not in Cic. or Caes.), over , above , beyond , more than : supra quattuor milia hominum orabunt ut, etc., Liv. 43, 3, 2: caesa eo die supra milia viginti, id. 30, 35, 3; 3, 31, 4: supra septem milia hominum domos remisit, id. 21, 23, 6; 23, 17, 2; 23, 37, 11 sq.; 23, 49, 13; Varr. R. R. 3, 2, 17; 3, 6, 1; 3, 7, 11: supra duos menses sapor ejus non permanet integer, Col. 12, 49, 3: tres (cyathos), Hor. C. 3, 19, 15.—
β In gen.: quibus solida ungula, nec supra geminos fetus, Plin. 11, 40, 95, § 233; cf.: de floribus supra dictus scripsit Theophrastus, besides , id. 21, 3, 9, § 13: hominis fortunam, Cic. Leg. 2, 16, 41: ratio supra hominem putanda est deoque tribuenda, id. N. D. 2, 13, 34: potentia, quae supra leges se esse velit, id. Ep. ad Brut. 1, 17, 6: humanam supra fortunam, Phaedr. 4, 24, 24: supra Coclites Muciosque id facinus esse, Liv. 2, 13, 8: modum, id. 21, 7, 7; Col. 4, 27, 4: vires, Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 22: humanam fidem Plin. 34, 7, 17, § 38: morem, Verg. G. 2, 227; Sall. C. 3, 2: supra belli Latini metum id quoque accesserat, quod, besides , Liv. 2, 18, 3.—Prov.: supra homines, supra ire deos pietate, i. e. to attain the highest degree , Verg. A. 12, 839 Heyne ad loc.—
3 Sometimes to indicate that over which one is placed as superintendent (mostly postclass.): dispositi, quos supra somnum habebat, watchers , Curt. 6, 11, 3: qui supra bibliothecam fuerunt, Vitr. 7, praef. § 5: servus supra rationes positus, Pseudo Quint. Decl. 353: SVPRA INSVLAS, Inscr. Orell. 721 and 2927: SVPRA IVMENTA, ib. 2870: SVPRA VELARIOS, ib. 2967: SVPRA COCOS, ib. 2827; Inscr. Grut. p. 1111, 1.—
III Compounds formed with supra are extremely rare. In late Lat. supradictus, suprafatus, suprafundo, suprajacio, supranatans, suprasedeo, etc., are found, but here supra is properly written separately as an adv.; only suprascando (v. h. v.), on account of its signif., is to be written as one word.