English Reference

Word

surrey

Phoneticssur·rey

US/ˈsɝi/

UK/sˈʌɹi/

Definitions

01a county in England

B1

n. a county in South East England, located just south of London.

n. an inland county of South East England, bordered by Greater London, Kent, Sussex, Hampshire, and Berkshire.

“Many people who work in London choose to live in Surrey for the countryside.”

“The administrative centre of Surrey was historically located in Kingston upon Thames, although the town was technically absorbed into Greater London in 1965.”

02a horse-drawn carriage

C2

n. a light carriage pulled by a horse, usually with two rows of seats and a flat top.

n. a light, four-wheeled horse-drawn carriage with two forward-facing seats, often featuring a flat top with fringe.

“The old film showed a family riding through the park in a horse-drawn surrey.”

“The surrey with the fringe on top became a cultural icon in the United States following its prominent mention in the musical Oklahoma.”

Archaic · American English

Usage

Usually refers to the historical vehicle popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Synonyms

Real-World Examples

“It is possible Wisley in Surrey will have notched up 60 days with no rain by Sunday.”
BBC News · 14 Aug 2026
“Turning the biggest women’s prison – HMP Bronzefield in Ashford, Surrey – into a men’s jail would free up more than 500 spaces.”
The Guardian · 11 Aug 2026
“A charity has been awarded £100,000 to help Surrey families experiencing financial hardship buy back to school essentials, including uniforms items, for the upcoming year.”
BBC News · 13 Aug 2026
“Coughlans Bakery, which had shops in Kent, Surrey, West Sussex and south London, announced it had ceased trading in June, blaming high business rates and increases in employers' national insurance contributions.”
BBC News · 12 Aug 2026

Etymology

From Old English Sūþrigē, Sūþrigēa (“southern region”), from sūþerne (“southern”) + -gē (“district, region”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry

Level
C2 · Proficiency
Frequency
Frequent
Updated

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English Reference