Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun An additional sum added to the usual cost or amount paid.
  • noun An additional or excessive amount or burden.
  • noun A new value or denomination overprinted on a postage or revenue stamp.
  • noun The stamp to which a new value has been applied.
  • noun Law The act of surcharging.
  • transitive verb To charge (a person or organization) an additional sum.
  • transitive verb To overload or overfill.
  • transitive verb To overwhelm or oppress.
  • transitive verb To print a surcharge on (a postage or revenue stamp).
  • transitive verb Law To show an omission of a credit in (an account).

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To print or write officially a surcharge on the face of (a postage-stamp). See surcharge, n., 6.
  • To overload, in any sense; overburden: as, to surcharge a beast or a ship; to surcharge a cannon.
  • In law: To show an omission in; show that the accounting party ought to have charged himself with more than he has. See surcharge and falsification, under surcharge, n.
  • To overstock; especially, to put more cattle into, as a common, than the person has a right to put, or more than the herbage will sustain.
  • To overcharge; make an extra charge upon.
  • noun A charge or load above another charge; hence, an excessive load or burden; a load greater than can be well borne.
  • noun A charge or supply in excess of the amount requisite for immediate use, or for the work in hand, as of nervous force or of electricity.
  • noun In law: An extra charge made by assessors upon such as neglect to make a due return of the taxes to which they are liable.
  • noun The showing of an omission in an account or something in respect of which the accounting party ought to have charged himself more than no has.
  • noun In ceramics, a painting in a lighter enamel over a darker one which forms the ground: as, a white flower in surcharge on a buff ground.
  • noun An overcharge beyond what is just and right.
  • noun Something, as a new valuation or status, offioially printed on the face of a postage-stamp.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To overload; to overburden; to overmatch; to overcharge.
  • transitive verb To overstock; especially, to put more cattle into, as a common, than the person has a right to do, or more than the herbage will sustain. Blackstone.
  • transitive verb (Equity) To show an omission in (an account) for which credit ought to have been given.
  • transitive verb To print or write a surcharge on (a postage stamp).
  • noun An overcharge; an excessive load or burden; a load greater than can well be borne.
  • noun The putting, by a commoner, of more beasts on the common than he has a right to.
  • noun (Equity) The showing an omission, as in an account, for which credit ought to have been given.
  • noun (Railroads) A charge over the usual or legal rates.
  • noun Something printed or written on a postage stamp to give it a new legal effect, as a new valuation, a place, a date, etc.; also (Colloq.), a stamp with a surcharge.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun An addition of extra charge on the agreed or stated price.
  • noun An excessive price charged e.g. to an unsuspecting customer.
  • noun philately An overprint on a stamp that alters (usually raises) the original nominal value of the stamp; used especially in times of hyperinflation.
  • noun law A charge that has been omitted from an account as payment of a credit to the charged party.
  • noun law A penalty for failure to exercise common prudence and skill in the performance of a fiduciary's duties.
  • noun obsolete An excessive load or burden.
  • noun law, obsolete The putting, by a commoner, of more animals on the common than he is entitled to.
  • verb To apply a surcharge.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb rip off; ask an unreasonable price
  • verb charge an extra fee, as for a special service
  • verb place too much a load on
  • noun an additional charge (as for items previously omitted or as a penalty for failure to exercise common caution or common skill)
  • verb fill to an excessive degree
  • verb show an omission in (an account) for which credit ought to have been given
  • verb fill to capacity with people

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, from surchargen, to overtax, from Old French surcharger : sur-, sur- + chargier, to charge; see charge.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From sur- +‎ charge

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  • "In ceramics, a painting in a lighter enamel over a darker one which forms the ground: as, a white flower in surcharge on a buff ground."

    --Century Dictionary

    January 3, 2017