/ sɜːdʒ; NAmE sɜːrdʒ/ verb , noun
■ verb [ v ]
1.
[+ adv. / prep. ] to move quickly and with force in a particular direction :
The gates opened and the crowd surged forward.
Flood waters surged into their homes.
2.
[usually + adv. / prep. ] to fill sb with a strong feeling
SYN sweep :
Relief surged through her.
3.
( of prices, profits, etc. ) to suddenly increase in value :
Share prices surged.
—related noun upsurge
4.
( of the flow of electrical power ) to increase suddenly
■ noun
1.
surge (of sth) a sudden increase of a strong feeling
SYN rush :
She felt a sudden surge of anger.
a surge of excitement
—see also upsurge
2.
surge (in / of sth) a sudden increase in the amount or number of sth; a large amount of sth :
a surge in consumer spending
We are having trouble keeping up with the recent surge in demand.
After an initial surge of interest, there has been little call for our services.
—see also upsurge
3.
surge (of sth) a sudden, strong forward or upward movement :
a tidal surge
4.
a sudden increase in the flow of electrical power through a system :
An electrical surge damaged the computer's disk drive.
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WORD ORIGIN
late 15th cent. (in the sense fountain, stream ): the noun (in early use) from Old French sourgeon ; the verb partly from the Old French stem sourge- , based on Latin surgere to rise. Early senses of the verb included rise and fall on the waves and swell with great force .