surprize

English

Noun

surprize (countable and uncountable, plural surprizes)

1. (now rare and nonstandard) Alternative spelling of surprise
   • 1792, Ann Ward Radcliffe, A Sicilian Romance‎^[1], HTML edition, The Gutenberg Project, published 2005:

     Ferdinand not yet recovered from the painful surprize

   • 1813, William Francis Patrick Napier, quoting Charle Napier, The Life and Opinions of General Sir Charles James Napier, G.C.B.‎^[2], Cambridge Univ. Press, published 2011, →ISBN, page 236:

     Guard well against surprize; to be surprized is inexcusable in a general, if it happens from his neglect of proper posts: if his troops are surprized in good posts they must be in a dreadful state, which can hardly be the fault of any one but the general.

Verb

1. (now rare and nonstandard) Alternative spelling of surprise
   • 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volumes (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC:

     The petty-fogger now likewise departed, and then Jones desired the favour of Mrs Whitefield’s company to drink tea with him; but she refused, and with a manner so different from that with which she had received him at dinner, that it a little surprized him.

   • 1789, Ann Ward Radcliffe, The Castles of Athlin and Dunbayne‎^[3], HTML edition:

     Surprized at the bold independence of these words, delivered with uncommon energy, the heart of Osbert beat quick

   • 1813, John Elihu Hall, The American Law Journal, Volume 4‎^[4], Digitized edition (Law), WP Farrand and Co., published 2010, page 326:

     Will he be surprized that such a diversity of sentiment rendered … And will he be surprized, that mutual concessions … need we be surprized tat the stream …

Usage notes

The z spelling was as common as the s spelling into the early 1700s, but has been rare ever since, and is now nonstandard.

References

• Merriam-Webster Dictionary, surprize