excess

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[edit] English

[edit] Etymology

Old English exces, excess, ecstasy; Latin excessus a going out, loss of self-possession, from excedere, excessum, to go out, go beyond. See exceed.

[edit] Pronunciation

[edit] Noun

Singular
excess

Plural
excesses

excess (plural excesses)

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  1. The degree or amount by which one thing or number exceeds another; remainder; as, the difference between two numbers is the excess of one over the other.
  2. The state of surpassing or going beyond limits; the being of a measure beyond sufficiency, necessity, or duty; that which exceeds what is usual or proper; immoderateness; superfluity; superabundance; extravagance; as, an excess of provisions or of light.
    • To gild refined gold, to paint the lily, To throw a perfume on the violet, ... Is wasteful and ridiculous excess. - Shakespeare
    • That kills me with excess of grief, this with excess of joy. - Walsh
  3. An undue indulgence of the appetite; transgression of proper moderation in natural gratifications; intemperance; dissipation.
    • Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess. Ephesians v. 18
    • Thy desire ... leads to no excess That reaches blame. - Milton
  4. (geometry) Spherical excess, the amount by which the sum of the three angles of a spherical triangle exceeds two right angles. The spherical excess is proportional to the area of the triangle.
  5. (British, insurance) A condition on an insurance policy by which the insured pays for the first part of any claim, in exchange for a lower premium.

[edit] Synonyms

[edit] Antonyms

[edit] Related terms

[edit] Translations

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Part or all of this page has been imported from the 1913 edition of Webster’s Dictionary, which is now free of copyright and hence in the public domain. The imported definitions may be significantly out of date, and any more recent senses may be completely missing.