# surge

> English word · Noun · IPA /sɝd͡ʒ/ · frequency rank #9,403

## Definitions
1. A sudden transient rush, flood or increase.
2. The maximum amplitude of a vehicle's forward/backward oscillation.
3. A sudden electrical spike or increase of voltage and current.
4. A momentary reversal of the airflow through the compressor section of a jet engine due to disruption of the airflow entering the engine's air intake, accompanied by loud banging noises, emission of flame, and temporary loss of thrust.
5. The swell or heave of the sea.
6. A deployment in large numbers at short notice.
7. The tapered part of a windlass barrel or a capstan, upon which the cable surges, or slips.

## Etymology
The verb is from Middle English ^((please verify)) surgen, possibly from Middle French sourgir, from Old French surgir (“to rise, ride near the shore, arrive, land”), from Old Catalan surgir, from Latin surgō, contraction of surrigō, subrigō (“lift up, raise, erect; intransitive rise, arise, get up, spring up, grow, etc.”, transitive verb), from sub (“from below; up”) + regō (“to stretch”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₃réǵeti (“to straighten; right”), from the root *h₃reǵ-; see regent. Doublet of source and sourd.
The noun is from the verb.

## Easily confused with
- **Susie** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/surge-vs-susie)
- **surly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/surge-vs-surly)
- **Surya** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/surge-vs-surya)
- **Suzie** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/surge-vs-suzie)
- **surry** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/surge-vs-surry)
- **survey** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/surge-vs-survey)
- **Surrey** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/surge-vs-surrey)
- **surged** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/surge-vs-surged)
- **surgery** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/surge-vs-surgery)
- **surgeon** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/surge-vs-surgeon)
- **sue** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sue-vs-surge)
- **sure** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sure-vs-surge)
- **sore** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sore-vs-surge)
- **sung** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sung-vs-surge)
- **surf** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/surf-vs-surge)
- **sage** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sage-vs-surge)
- **sire** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sire-vs-surge)
- **Suga** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/suga-vs-surge)
- **sura** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sura-vs-surge)
- **stage** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stage-vs-surge)

## Common misspellings (7)
`sruge`, `ssurge`, `sugre`, `sureg`, `surgge`, `surrge`, `usrge`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/surge