surprise

v. startle, astonish; ambush

n. act of surprising; astonishment; something which startles or astonishes; unexpected event

Surprise may refer to:Surprise (emotion)Surprise party, a party of which the honored person is not told of beforehand.Surprise factor, the fundamental element in humor that puts a twist on familiar subjectsSurprise, surprisal, or self-information, the information-theoretic quantity , where p is the probability of occurrenceSymphony No. 94 (Haydn) in G major "Surprise Symphony" by Joseph Haydn"Surprise" (Buffy episode), an episode of the TV series Buffy the Vampire SlayerSurprise, Arizona, a city in the United StatesSurprise, Nebraska, a village in the United StatesSurprise (Paul Simon album), a 2006 album by Paul SimonSurprise (Better Than Ezra album), a 1989 album by Better Than Ezra(T)Raumschiff Surprise - Periode 1, a German science fiction parody film by Michael "Bully" HerbigHMS Surprise, various real and fictional Royal Navy shipsAmbush or military surprise, a military strategy to strike the enemy at a time or place or in a manner for which they is unpreparedSurprise!, an award-winning short film by Veit HelmerSurprise (animated film), an animated short film created by Pixar Animation Studios for Sesame StreetSurprise Records, a record label"Surprise, Arizona" a song by Richard BucknerSurprise Moriri, a South African football (soccer) player
See more at Wikipedia.org...

Surprise! is a 1995 short film by German director Veit Helmer. It won a Golden Space Needle award at the 1995 Seattle International Film Festival. The story centers on a Rube Goldberg device.
See more at Wikipedia.org...

n. surprise, astonishment, shock

v. surprise, overtake; startle, amaze

adj. surprised, startled, agape

(n.)
To strike with wonder, astonishment, or confusion, by something sudden, unexpected, or remarkable; to confound; as, his conduct surprised me.
  

(n.)
To lead (one) to do suddenly and without forethought; to bring (one) into some unexpected state; -- with into; as, to be surprised into an indiscretion; to be surprised into generosity.
  

(n.)
To hold possession of; to hold.
  

(n.)
To come or fall suddenly and unexpectedly; to take unawares; to seize or capture by unexpected attack.
  

(n.)
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.
  

(n.)
The act of coming upon, or taking, unawares; the act of seizing unexpectedly; surprisal; as, the fort was taken by surprise.
  

(n.)
Anything that causes such a state or emotion.
  

(n.)
A dish covered with a crust of raised paste, but with no other contents.
  

This term is frequently used in courts of equity and by writers on equity jurisprudence. It signifies the act by which a party who is entering into a contract is taken unawares, by which sudden confusion or perplexity is created, which renders it proper that a court of equity should relieve the party so surprised. The word surprise is a technical expression, and nearly synonymous with fraud. It is sometimes, used in this sense when it is deemed presumptive of, or approaching to fraud.

In practice, by surprise is understood that situation in which a party is placed, without any default of his own, which will be, injurious to his interest. The courts always do everything in their power to relieve a party from the effects of a surprise, when he has been diligent in endeavouring to avoid it.
   

This entry contains material from Bouvier's Legal Dictionary, a work published in the 1850's.