super-

aff. a prefix occurring orig. in loanwords from Latin, with the basic meaning “above, beyond.” Words formed with super- have the following general senses: “to place or be placed above or over” (superimpose), “a thing placed over another” (superstructure), “situated over” (superficial) and, more figuratively, “an individual, thing, or property that exceeds customary norms or levels” (superconductivity; superman), “something larger, more powerful, or with wider application than others of its kind” (supercomputer; superhighway), “exceeding norms or limits” (superhuman), “having the specified property to a great or excessive degree” (supercritical; superfine), “to subject to (a physical process) to an extreme degree” (supercharge; supercool), “a category that embraces a number of lesser items of the specified kind” (superfamily), “a chemical compound with a higher proportion than usual of a given constituent” (superphosphate)

•

Etymology: < L super (prep. and v. prefix) above, beyond, in addition, to an esp. high degree; akin to Gk hypér (see hyper-), Skt upari; see over