The Collaborative International Dictionary
Surprise \Sur*prise"\, n. [F. surprise, fr. surprendre, surpris; sur over + prendre to take, L. prehendere. See Sur-, and Prehensile.]
The act of coming upon, or taking, unawares; the act of seizing unexpectedly; surprisal; as, the fort was taken by surprise.
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The state of being surprised, or taken unawares, by some act or event which could not reasonably be foreseen; emotion excited by what is sudden and strange; a suddenly excited feeling of wonder or astonishment.
Pure surprise and fear Made me to quit the house.
--Shak. Anything that causes such a state or emotion.
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A dish covered with a crust of raised paste, but with no other contents. [Obs.]
--King.Surprise party, a party of persons who assemble by mutual agreement, and without invitation, at the house of a common friend. [U.S.]
--Bartlett.Syn: Wonder; astonishment; amazement.
Wiktionary
n. A pre-planned party in which participants secretively gather in a certain location, wait for the arrival of the person they wish to honour and, traditionally, greet the arrival of the honoured person by shouting, "Surprise!".
Wikipedia
A surprise party is a party arranged as a surprise.
Surprise party may also refer to:
- The Surprise Party (novel), a novel from the Fear Street series
- "The Surprise Party" (Smash), episode of television series Smash
Surprise Party is a 1983 French comedy-drama film directed by Roger Vadim.
Usage examples of "surprise party".
She'd been his mistress for seven years now, ever since she'd been presented to him as a surprise party favor at the Winter Ball on Golgotha.
She was a surprise party favor at a Winter Ball on Golgotha, and when they first presented her to me, I thought she was the most wonderful thing I'd ever seen.
She Who Must Be Obeyed had returned from her trip with cousin Everard, put on the kettle and surveyed the general disorder left by my surprise party with deep disapproval.
Despite all his efforts to avoid such things today, it seemed he was in for a surprise party after all.
So some of the young people are giving him a surprise party tonight.
Hilda Mae, the head of the task force that rescued me, had rigged a surprise party for Theodore, in which she had presented me to him, dressed in a costume of high symbology to him - heeled slippers, long sheer hose, green garters - at a time when he thought that I was still in Albuquerque mo millennia earlier and still in need of rescue.
So some of the young people are giving him a surprise party to.