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Webster 1913 Edition


Excelsior


Ex-cel′si-or

,
Adj.
[L., compar. of
excelsus
elevated, lofty, p. p. of
excellere
. See
Excel
,
Verb.
T.
]
More lofty; still higher; ever upward.

Ex-cel′si-or

,
Noun.
A kind of stuffing for upholstered furniture, mattresses, etc., in which curled shreds of wood are substituted for curled hair.

Definition 2024


excelsior

excelsior

English

Adjective

excelsior (not comparable)

  1. (archaic) Loftier, yet higher; ever upward

Noun

excelsior (uncountable)

  1. (US printing, dated) The size of type between Norse and brilliant, standardized as 3-point.
  2. Stuffing material (as for furniture and mattresses) made of slender, curled wood shavings, as a substitute for hair.
    • 1942, Elliot Paul, The Last Time I Saw Paris, Sickle Moon 2001, p. 91:
      These little mangers, with baby dolls representing Jesus, porcelean Josephs and Marys, wide-eyed cows of papier-mâché, and excelsior for straw, were purchased by pious parents for well-behaved children at Christmas-tide.

Synonyms

Translations


Latin

Etymology

excelsus (elevated”, “lofty) + -ior (suffix forming adjectives’ comparative degrees)

Pronunciation

  • (Classical) IPA(key): /ekˈskel.si.or/, [ɛkˈskɛɫ.si.ɔr]

Adjective

excelsior (comparative of excelsus)

  1. higher, loftier, more elevated

Inflection

Third declension, comparative variant

Number Singular Plural
Case / Gender Masc./Fem. Neuter Masc./Fem. Neuter
nominative excelsior excelsius excelsiōrēs excelsiōra
genitive excelsiōris excelsiōrum
dative excelsiōrī excelsiōribus
accusative excelsiōrem excelsius excelsiōrēs excelsiōra
ablative excelsiōre excelsiōribus
vocative excelsior excelsius excelsiōrēs excelsiōra