excelsior
1 Americannoun
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fine wood shavings, used for stuffing, packing, etc.
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Printing. a 3-point type: a size smaller than brilliant.
adjective
interjection
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excellent: used as a motto and as a trademark for various products, esp in the US for fine wood shavings used for packing breakable objects
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upwards
Usage
What else does excelsior mean? Excelsior is a Latin word translated into English as a motto meaning "Ever upward!"Marvel comics legend Stan Lee, who helped create such iconic characters as Spider-Man and the Hulk, famously used Excelsior! as his catchphrase.
Etymology
Origin of excelsior
An Americanism dating back to 1770–80; formerly a trademark
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
EXCELSIOR, Minn. — Like many political candidates, Dean Phillips spends hours each day fund-raising and thanking his donors.
From New York Times • Aug. 12, 2018
"The shades of night were falling fast, As through an Alpine village passed A youth, who bore, 'mid snow and ice, A banner with the strange device, EXCELSIOR!"
From Golden Steps to Respectability, Usefulness and Happiness by Austin, John Mather
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
