sur|feit

sur|feit «SUR fiht», noun, verb.

–n.

1. an excessive amount of something; too much; excess: »

A surfeit of food makes one sick. Figurative. A surfeit of advice annoys me.

2. disgust or nausea caused by this; painful satiety.

3. gluttonous indulgence, especially gluttonous eating or drinking.

4. an abnormal condition caused by gluttony; derangement of the digestive system from gluttony or intemperance.

–v.t.

to feed or supply to excess; force down or on (a person) in such quantity as to cause nausea or disgust: »

Figurative. He is weary and surfeited of business (Samuel Pepys).

–v.i.

to eat, drink, or indulge in something to excess; take one's fill and more (of); feast gluttonously (upon): »

They are as sick that surfeit with too much as they that starve with nothing (Shakespeare).

SYNONYM(S): glut, gorge. See syn. under satiate. (Cf. ↑satiate)

╂[< Old French surfet, and surfait excess; (originally) past participle of surfaire overdo < sur- over + faire do < Latin facere]

–sur´feit|er, noun.