excelsior
English
Etymology
From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Latin excelsior, comparative of excelsus (“high”). The name of the stuffing material was originally a trademark.
Pronunciation
- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 290: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "UK" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /ɛkˈsɛlsɪɔː/
Adjective
excelsior (not comparable)
- (archaic) Loftier, yet higher, more elevated; ever upward
- more surpassing, more excelling
Noun
excelsior (uncountable)
- (US printing, dated) The size of type between Norse and brilliant, standardized as 3-point.
- 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.
- 1942, Elliot Paul, The Last Time I Saw Paris, Sickle Moon 2001, p. 91:
Synonyms
- (type size): (UK) minikin
Translations
3-point type
|
stuffing made of slender, curled wood shavings
|
Latin
Etymology
excelsus (“elevated”, “lofty”) + -ior (suffix forming adjectives’ comparative degrees)
Pronunciation
- (Classical Latin) IPA(key): /ekˈskel.si.or/, [ɛkˈs̠kɛɫ̪s̠iɔr]
- (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): /ekˈʃel.si.or/, [ekˈʃɛlsior]
Adjective
excelsior (neuter excelsius, positive excelsus); third declension
Declension
Third-declension comparative adjective.
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 |
Categories:
- English terms derived from Latin
- English 4-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English lemmas
- English adjectives
- English uncomparable adjectives
- English terms with archaic senses
- English nouns
- English uncountable nouns
- American English
- en:Printing
- English dated terms
- English genericized trademarks
- Latin terms suffixed with -ior
- Latin 4-syllable words
- Latin terms with IPA pronunciation
- Latin non-lemma forms
- Latin comparative adjectives