Obs. Forms. 4–6 surful, 5 -fel, -fyle, 6 -fyl, -fyll, -ffill, -ffyll, -full, -pheul, 6–7 -fle, -phul, 7 -fell, -phle, -phal, ? erron. -ple. [a. AF. *surfiler = med.L. superfīlāre, f. super- SUPER- 2 + fīlāre, f. fīlum thread, FILE sb.2; after perfīlāre to PURFLE.
1. trans. To embroider. Hence Surfled ppl. a., Surfling vbl. sb.
1399. Mem. Ripon (Surtees), III. 133. Et in salario j mulieris surfuland prædictum baner 4d.
14[?]. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 614/38. Superfilo, to surfyle.
1481–90. Howard Househ. Bks. (Roxb.), 516. Payd to Iohn Peryman for the surfelyng of nappre ware … vj. d.
1523. Skelton, Garl. Laurel, 803. With burris rowth and bottons surffillyng [v.r. surfullinge], In nedill wark raysyng byrdis in bowris. Ibid. (a. 1529), Col. Cloute, 220. Vnder her surfled [v.r. surfuld] smocke.
2. transf. To paint or wash (the face, etc.) with a cosmetic. Hence Surfled ppl. a., Surfling vbl. sb. (occas. concr. a face-wash or cosmetic); also attrib. in surfling water.
c. 1550. Dice-Play (Percy Soc.), 35. This mother baud … having at home a well painted mannerly harlot,… went, in the morning, to the apothecaries for half-a-pint of sweet water that commonly is called surfulyng water.
1575. Gascoigne, Ferd. Ieron., Wks. 228. Thy painted pale, and wrinckles surfled vp.
1596. Lodge, Wits Miserie (Hunter. Cl.), 44. Shee had learnt al the subtilties of painting, dying, and surfling, some three yeares in Venice.
1598. Marston, Sco. Villanie, I. i. 57. Smugge Lesbia Hath … A muddy inside, though a surphul’d face. Ibid., Pygmal., Sat., ii. 144. What hether do’st thou bring? But surpheulings, new paints, and poysoning? Ibid. (1604), Malcontent, II. iv. Doctor Plaster-face … the most exquisite in forging of veines,… dying of haire, sleeking of skinnes,… surphleing of breastes, blanching and bleaching of teeth.
a. 1644. Quarles, Virgin Widow, II. i. For one ounce and a half of surfling water, 0. 7. 6.
1650. Bulwer, Anthropomet., 222. Our Court Ladies, with whom Surpling and Court holy-water are a little too frequent.
a. 1652. Brome, City Wit, IV. i. Her Eye artificially spirited, her Cheek surphuled, her Teeth blanch’d.
