"excelsior" meaning in English

See excelsior in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

IPA: /ɛkˈsɛl.si.ɔː/ [UK], /ɛkˈsɛl.si.ɚ/ [US], /ɪk-/ [US]
Etymology: From Latin excelsior, comparative of excelsus (“high”). The name of the stuffing material was originally a trademark. As an exclamation, originating in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's 1841 poem Excelsior, based on the New York state motto. Popularized in the comic book fandom by Marvel Comics editor Stan Lee, who chose the term to sign off his columns as it was an obscure term and would confound competing publishers who imitated his style. Etymology templates: {{bor|en|la|excelsior}} Latin excelsior, {{pedia|Excelsior (Longfellow)#Adaptations and parodies}} Excelsior (Longfellow) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia Head templates: {{en-adj|-}} excelsior (not comparable)
  1. (archaic) Loftier, yet higher, more elevated; ever upward. Tags: archaic, not-comparable Categories (topical): Timber industry
    Sense id: en-excelsior-en-adj-VFGam92b Disambiguation of Timber industry: 27 16 2 27 27 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English genericized trademarks, Pages with 2 entries, Pages with entries, Terms with Dutch translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Italian translations, Terms with Spanish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 31 18 6 11 33 Disambiguation of English genericized trademarks: 29 19 5 19 29 Disambiguation of Pages with 2 entries: 31 22 4 15 28 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 34 22 3 10 30 Disambiguation of Terms with Dutch translations: 28 22 6 20 25 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 28 21 6 19 25 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 28 21 5 19 26 Disambiguation of Terms with Italian translations: 29 22 4 20 25 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 28 21 4 22 25
  2. More surpassing, more excelling. Tags: not-comparable Categories (topical): Timber industry
    Sense id: en-excelsior-en-adj-dXZ8v47k Disambiguation of Timber industry: 27 16 2 27 27 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English genericized trademarks, Pages with 2 entries, Pages with entries, Terms with Dutch translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Italian translations, Terms with Spanish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 31 18 6 11 33 Disambiguation of English genericized trademarks: 29 19 5 19 29 Disambiguation of Pages with 2 entries: 31 22 4 15 28 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 34 22 3 10 30 Disambiguation of Terms with Dutch translations: 28 22 6 20 25 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 28 21 6 19 25 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 28 21 5 19 26 Disambiguation of Terms with Italian translations: 29 22 4 20 25 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 28 21 4 22 25

Interjection

IPA: /ɛkˈsɛl.si.ɔː/ [UK], /ɛkˈsɛl.si.ɚ/ [US], /ɪk-/ [US]
Etymology: From Latin excelsior, comparative of excelsus (“high”). The name of the stuffing material was originally a trademark. As an exclamation, originating in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's 1841 poem Excelsior, based on the New York state motto. Popularized in the comic book fandom by Marvel Comics editor Stan Lee, who chose the term to sign off his columns as it was an obscure term and would confound competing publishers who imitated his style. Etymology templates: {{bor|en|la|excelsior}} Latin excelsior, {{pedia|Excelsior (Longfellow)#Adaptations and parodies}} Excelsior (Longfellow) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia Head templates: {{en-interjection}} excelsior
  1. A greeting, farewell or acclamation, especially associated with comic book fandom.
    Sense id: en-excelsior-en-intj-iDWYUZlm

Noun

IPA: /ɛkˈsɛl.si.ɔː/ [UK], /ɛkˈsɛl.si.ɚ/ [US], /ɪk-/ [US]
Etymology: From Latin excelsior, comparative of excelsus (“high”). The name of the stuffing material was originally a trademark. As an exclamation, originating in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's 1841 poem Excelsior, based on the New York state motto. Popularized in the comic book fandom by Marvel Comics editor Stan Lee, who chose the term to sign off his columns as it was an obscure term and would confound competing publishers who imitated his style. Etymology templates: {{bor|en|la|excelsior}} Latin excelsior, {{pedia|Excelsior (Longfellow)#Adaptations and parodies}} Excelsior (Longfellow) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia Head templates: {{en-noun|-}} excelsior (uncountable)
  1. (US printing, dated) The size of type between Norse and brilliant, standardized as 3-point. Tags: US, dated, uncountable Categories (topical): Printing, Timber industry Synonyms: minikin [UK] Translations (3-point type): kwart cicero (Dutch), diamant (French), Brillant (German), Viertelcicero (German), diamante (Italian), diamante (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-excelsior-en-noun-en:printing Disambiguation of Timber industry: 27 16 2 27 27 Categories (other): American English, English entries with incorrect language header, English genericized trademarks, Pages with 2 entries, Pages with entries, Terms with Dutch translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Italian translations, Terms with Spanish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 31 18 6 11 33 Disambiguation of English genericized trademarks: 29 19 5 19 29 Disambiguation of Pages with 2 entries: 31 22 4 15 28 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 34 22 3 10 30 Disambiguation of Terms with Dutch translations: 28 22 6 20 25 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 28 21 6 19 25 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 28 21 5 19 26 Disambiguation of Terms with Italian translations: 29 22 4 20 25 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 28 21 4 22 25 Topics: media, printing, publishing Disambiguation of '3-point type': 100 0
  2. (Canada, US) Stuffing material (as for furniture and mattresses) made of slender, curled woodshavings, as a substitute for hair. Tags: Canada, US, uncountable Categories (topical): Timber industry Synonyms: wood wool
    Sense id: en-excelsior-en-noun-WBO1eu5l Disambiguation of Timber industry: 27 16 2 27 27 Categories (other): American English, Canadian English, English entries with incorrect language header, English genericized trademarks, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 2 entries, Pages with entries, Terms with Dutch translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Italian translations, Terms with Spanish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 31 18 6 11 33 Disambiguation of English genericized trademarks: 29 19 5 19 29 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 27 19 5 12 37 Disambiguation of Pages with 2 entries: 31 22 4 15 28 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 34 22 3 10 30 Disambiguation of Terms with Dutch translations: 28 22 6 20 25 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 28 21 6 19 25 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 28 21 5 19 26 Disambiguation of Terms with Italian translations: 29 22 4 20 25 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 28 21 4 22 25
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        {
          "ref": "1960, John Updike, 'Rabbit, Run', page 13:",
          "text": "Working both [of them] at Kroll's then, she selling candy and cashews in a white smock with \"Jan\" stitched on her pocket and he lugging easy chairs and maple end tables around on the floor above, hammering apart packing crates from nine to five, the itch of the packing excelsior getting into his nose and eyes and making them burn.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2015 March 31, Margalit Fox, “Gary Dahl, Inventor of the Pet Rock, Dies at 78”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:",
          "text": "Each Pet Rock came in a cardboard carrying case, complete with air holes, tenderly nestled on a bed of excelsior.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Stuffing material (as for furniture and mattresses) made of slender, curled woodshavings, as a substitute for hair."
      ],
      "id": "en-excelsior-en-noun-WBO1eu5l",
      "links": [
        [
          "Canada",
          "Canada"
        ],
        [
          "US",
          "American English"
        ],
        [
          "woodshaving",
          "woodshaving"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Canada, US) Stuffing material (as for furniture and mattresses) made of slender, curled woodshavings, as a substitute for hair."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "wood wool"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Canada",
        "US",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ɛkˈsɛl.si.ɔː/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ɛkˈsɛl.si.ɚ/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ɪk-/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "Excelsior (Longfellow)",
    "Henry Wadsworth Longfellow",
    "Stan Lee"
  ],
  "word": "excelsior"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English adjectives",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English genericized trademarks",
    "English interjections",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms borrowed from Latin",
    "English terms derived from Latin",
    "English uncomparable adjectives",
    "English uncountable nouns",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 2 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Dutch translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Italian translations",
    "Terms with Spanish translations",
    "en:Timber industry"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "excelsior"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin excelsior",
      "name": "bor"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "Excelsior (Longfellow)#Adaptations and parodies"
      },
      "expansion": "Excelsior (Longfellow) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia",
      "name": "pedia"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Latin excelsior, comparative of excelsus (“high”). The name of the stuffing material was originally a trademark.\nAs an exclamation, originating in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's 1841 poem Excelsior, based on the New York state motto. Popularized in the comic book fandom by Marvel Comics editor Stan Lee, who chose the term to sign off his columns as it was an obscure term and would confound competing publishers who imitated his style.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "excelsior (not comparable)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with archaic senses"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Loftier, yet higher, more elevated; ever upward."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "elevated",
          "elevated"
        ],
        [
          "upward",
          "upward"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(archaic) Loftier, yet higher, more elevated; ever upward."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic",
        "not-comparable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "More surpassing, more excelling."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "surpassing",
          "surpassing"
        ],
        [
          "excelling",
          "excelling"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "not-comparable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ɛkˈsɛl.si.ɔː/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ɛkˈsɛl.si.ɚ/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ɪk-/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "Excelsior (Longfellow)",
    "Henry Wadsworth Longfellow",
    "Stan Lee"
  ],
  "word": "excelsior"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English adjectives",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English genericized trademarks",
    "English interjections",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms borrowed from Latin",
    "English terms derived from Latin",
    "English uncomparable adjectives",
    "English uncountable nouns",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 2 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Dutch translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Italian translations",
    "Terms with Spanish translations",
    "en:Timber industry"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "excelsior"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin excelsior",
      "name": "bor"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "Excelsior (Longfellow)#Adaptations and parodies"
      },
      "expansion": "Excelsior (Longfellow) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia",
      "name": "pedia"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Latin excelsior, comparative of excelsus (“high”). The name of the stuffing material was originally a trademark.\nAs an exclamation, originating in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's 1841 poem Excelsior, based on the New York state motto. Popularized in the comic book fandom by Marvel Comics editor Stan Lee, who chose the term to sign off his columns as it was an obscure term and would confound competing publishers who imitated his style.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "excelsior",
      "name": "en-interjection"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "intj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A greeting, farewell or acclamation, especially associated with comic book fandom."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "acclamation",
          "acclamation#English"
        ],
        [
          "comic book",
          "comic book#English"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ɛkˈsɛl.si.ɔː/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ɛkˈsɛl.si.ɚ/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ɪk-/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "Excelsior (Longfellow)",
    "Henry Wadsworth Longfellow",
    "Stan Lee"
  ],
  "word": "excelsior"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English adjectives",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English genericized trademarks",
    "English interjections",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms borrowed from Latin",
    "English terms derived from Latin",
    "English uncomparable adjectives",
    "English uncountable nouns",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 2 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Dutch translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Italian translations",
    "Terms with Spanish translations",
    "en:Timber industry"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "excelsior"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin excelsior",
      "name": "bor"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "Excelsior (Longfellow)#Adaptations and parodies"
      },
      "expansion": "Excelsior (Longfellow) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia",
      "name": "pedia"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Latin excelsior, comparative of excelsus (“high”). The name of the stuffing material was originally a trademark.\nAs an exclamation, originating in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's 1841 poem Excelsior, based on the New York state motto. Popularized in the comic book fandom by Marvel Comics editor Stan Lee, who chose the term to sign off his columns as it was an obscure term and would confound competing publishers who imitated his style.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "excelsior (uncountable)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "American English",
        "English dated terms",
        "en:Printing"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The size of type between Norse and brilliant, standardized as 3-point."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "printing",
          "printing#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "size",
          "size"
        ],
        [
          "type",
          "type"
        ],
        [
          "between",
          "between"
        ],
        [
          "Norse",
          "Norse#English:_printing"
        ],
        [
          "brilliant",
          "brilliant#English:_printing"
        ],
        [
          "standardize",
          "standardize"
        ],
        [
          "point",
          "point"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(US printing, dated) The size of type between Norse and brilliant, standardized as 3-point."
      ],
      "senseid": [
        "en:printing"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "tags": [
            "UK"
          ],
          "word": "minikin"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "dated",
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "media",
        "printing",
        "publishing"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "American English",
        "Canadian English",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1942, Elliot Paul, The Last Time I Saw Paris, Sickle Moon, published 2001, page 91:",
          "text": "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.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1960, John Updike, 'Rabbit, Run', page 13:",
          "text": "Working both [of them] at Kroll's then, she selling candy and cashews in a white smock with \"Jan\" stitched on her pocket and he lugging easy chairs and maple end tables around on the floor above, hammering apart packing crates from nine to five, the itch of the packing excelsior getting into his nose and eyes and making them burn.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2015 March 31, Margalit Fox, “Gary Dahl, Inventor of the Pet Rock, Dies at 78”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:",
          "text": "Each Pet Rock came in a cardboard carrying case, complete with air holes, tenderly nestled on a bed of excelsior.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Stuffing material (as for furniture and mattresses) made of slender, curled woodshavings, as a substitute for hair."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Canada",
          "Canada"
        ],
        [
          "US",
          "American English"
        ],
        [
          "woodshaving",
          "woodshaving"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Canada, US) Stuffing material (as for furniture and mattresses) made of slender, curled woodshavings, as a substitute for hair."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "wood wool"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Canada",
        "US",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ɛkˈsɛl.si.ɔː/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ɛkˈsɛl.si.ɚ/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ɪk-/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "3-point type",
      "word": "kwart cicero"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "3-point type",
      "word": "diamant"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "3-point type",
      "word": "Brillant"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "3-point type",
      "word": "Viertelcicero"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "3-point type",
      "word": "diamante"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "3-point type",
      "word": "diamante"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "Excelsior (Longfellow)",
    "Henry Wadsworth Longfellow",
    "Stan Lee"
  ],
  "word": "excelsior"
}

Download raw JSONL data for excelsior meaning in English (8.4kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-03-26 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-03-21 using wiktextract (fef8596 and 633533e). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.