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Exciting wonder or surprise; astonishing; wonderful. This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. Ps. cxiii. 23.

A taking by surprise; an unexpected onset or attack. Carew.

sonified object; also, as an emotional or impassioned exclamation expressing pain, grief, surprise, desire, fear, etc. For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven. Ps. cxix. 89. O how love I thy law ! it is my meditation all the day. Ps. cxix. 97.

The act of creeping upon with secrecy or by surprise. [Obs.] Cudworth.

Done or obtained by surprise; with secrecy, or by concealment of the truth. [R.] Cotgrave.

An exclamation expressing various emotions, according to the tone and manner, especially surprise, pain, sorrow, anxiety, or a wish. See the Note under O.

An exclamation of surprise, etc.

To come upon from behind; to discover; to surprise; to capture; to overcome. If a man be overtaken in a fault. Gal. vi. 1 I shall see The winged vengeance overtake such children. Shak.

A detached body of troops serving to guard an army from surprise, and to oppose reconnoitering parties of the enemy; -- called also outlying picket.

, judging, willing, fearing, hoping, etc. I. Watts. The guiltiness of my mind, the sudden surprise of my powers, drove the grossness . . . into a received belief. Shak.

r body. I do hope to recover my late hurt. Cowley. When I had recovered a little my first surprise. De Foe.

aint of freedom in words or actions; backwardness; caution in personal behavior. My soul, surprised, and from her sex disjoined, Left all reserve, and all the sex, behind. Prior. The clergyman's shy and sensitive reserve had balked this scheme. Hawthorne.

r guards; specifically (Mil.), a soldier set to guard an army, camp, or other place, from surprise, to observe the approach of danger, and give notice of it; a sentry. The sentinels who paced the ramparts. Macaulay.

To strike with surprise, terror, horror, or disgust; to cause to recoil; as, his violence shocked his associates. Advise him not to shock a father's will. Dryden.

To visit with great destruction of life; to kill; to slay in battle. Your castle is surprised; your wife and babes Savagely slaughtered. Shak.

To look with fixed eyes wide open, as through fear, wonder, surprise, impudence, etc.; to fasten an earnest and prolonged gaze on some object. For ever upon the ground I see thee stare. Chaucer. Look not big, nor stamp, nor stare, nor fret. Shak.

To move suddenly, as with a spring or leap, from surprise, pain, or other sudden feeling or emotion, or by a voluntary act. And maketh him out of his sleep to start. Chaucer. I start as from some dreadful dream. Dryden. Keep your soul to the work when ready to start aside. I. Watts. But if he start, It is the flesh of…

To excite by sudden alarm, surprise, or apprehension; to frighten suddenly and not seriously; to alarm; to surprise. The supposition, at least, that angels do sometimes assume bodies need not startle us. Locke.

In a strange manner; in a manner or degree to excite surprise or wonder; wonderfully. How strangely active are the arts of peace! Dryden. It would strangely delight you to see with what spirit he converses. Law.

, as by a blow; to affect sensibly with some strong emotion; as, to strike the mind, with surprise; to strike one with wonder, alarm, dread, or horror. Nice works of art strike and surprise us most on the first view. Atterbury. They please as beauties, here as wonders strike. Pope.