surmount

present singular third person surmounts · participle present surmounting · participle past surmounted · past surmounted

1. transitiveTo get or be over without touching or resting on; to overcome.

   this difficulty may perhaps be surmounted by care and art

   1748, David Hume, Enquiries concerning the human understanding and concerning the principles of moral., London: Oxford University Press, published 1973, § 10

   2 more examples

   There are two realms: that of divine powers, another of the metadivine.¹ Even the gods are depicted as calling upon metadivine forces to surmount their own predestined limitations.

   1960, Yehezkel Kaufmann, “Chapter II: Pagan Religion”, in Moshe Greenberg, transl., The Religion of Israel, University of Chicago, →OCLC, page 23

   Burkina Fasoan legislation surmounts one more step which sees in the organ created in this country and designated as the Superior Council of Information (S.C.I.), " an administrative authority".

   1995, Study on Legislation Related to Regulations Organs in the Field of Broadcasting in West Africa

2. transitiveTo cap; to sit on top of.

   The boiler had a large dome over the firebox, inside the cab, surmounted by Ramsbottom safety valves.

   1951 April, “Notes and News: Locomotive Notes: London Midland Region”, in Railway Magazine, number 600, page 283

   1 more example

   The ovolo surmounting the dentil course generally turns the corner by means of a carved acanthus leaf, the decorated cyma and cyma reversa being similarly treated at the corner.

   2007, Robert Chitham, The Classical Orders of Architecture, →ISBN