sursurrara, a writ of certiorari. Middleton, Phoenix, i. 4 (Tangle). See Stanford (s.v. Certiorari), Nares (s.v. Sasarara), and EDD. (s.v. Siserary).
suscitate, to stir up, Elyot, Governour, bk. iii, c. 26, § 4; suscitability, aptness to move, B. Jonson, Alchemist, ii. 1 (Face). L. suscitare, to arouse.
suspect, suspicion. Comedy of Errors, iii. 1. 87; Rich. III, i. 3. 89; B. Jonson, Case is Altered, i. 4. Very common in authors of this period. Med. L. suspectus, ‘suspicio’ (Ducange); cp. O. Prov. sospet, ‘soupçon’ (Levy).
suspire, to draw a breath; used of a new-born child, King John, iii. 4. 80; used of a dying man, 2 Hen. IV, iv. 5. 32; a deep breath, a sigh, Massinger, Old Law, v. 1 (Cleanthes); Heywood, Brazen Age (Hercules), in Wks., iii. 249. L. suspirare, to draw a deep breath.
swad, a clown, a rustic. B. Jonson, Tale of a Tub, ii. 1 (Hilts); Lyly, Midas, iv. 3 (Petulus). A north-country word for a stupid fellow, see EDD. (s.v. Swad, sb.3). Prob. identical with swad, a sod, a clod, see EDD. (s.v. Sward, sb.2 1).
swaddle, to beat, cudgel. Fletcher, Captain, ii. 2 (Frederick); Butler, Hud. i. 1. 24; Cotgrave (s.v. Chaperon); ‘To swaddle or cudgel, bastonner’, Sherwood. To swaddle a person’s sides, ‘to beat him soundly’, is a Kentish phrase, Kennett, Par. Antiq. (ann. 1695). See EDD. (s.v. Swaddle, vb.1 2). See Halliwell, and Nares.
swag, to sway aside; ‘To swag on one side, pencher tout d’un costé’, Sherwood; Middleton, A Mad World, iii. 1 (Harebrain). See EDD.
swage, to ‘assuage’. Milton, Samson, 184; P. L. i. 556; Gascoigne, Fruites of Warre, st. 120. In common prov. use in this sense (EDD.). ME. swagyn, ‘mitigo’ (Prompt.).
swale, a cool shade; ‘Trees which gave a pleasant swale’, Golding, Metam. v. 336 (L. umbra); fol. 60, back (1603). An E. Anglian word, see EDD. (s.v. Swale, sb.1). ME. swale, ‘umbra, umbraculum’ (Prompt. EETS. 444). Icel. sval, a cool breeze; Norw. dial. svala (Aasen).
sward, the hard outer rind of bacon; ‘(He) liveth harde with baken swarde’, Kendall, Flowers of Epigrammes (Nares); ‘The sward of bacon, la peau de lard ou d’un jambon,’ Sherwood. In prov. use in various parts of England (EDD.). ME. sward of flesh, ‘coriana’ (Prompt. EETS. 445). OE. sweard, rind of bacon, cp. G. schwarte, skin, rind.