excelsior
1 Americannoun
-
fine wood shavings, used for stuffing, packing, etc.
-
Printing. a 3-point type: a size smaller than brilliant.
adjective
interjection
-
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
-
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.
They have purple eyes, they hate children and they roam around Hotel Excelsior.
From BBC • Oct. 30, 2025
“For the Excelsior hotel in Rome,” says Gropman, “the exterior was the Hassler, the lobby was the Plaza, and two suites were an amazing 16th century palazzo in the middle of Rome.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 17, 2024
On the banks of Lake Minnewashta in Excelsior, just outside Minneapolis, the answer lies in a dimly lit, wood-burning barrel-shaped sauna a few feet away.
From New York Times • Feb. 17, 2024
“I quickly started smelling a strong metallic smell and began sweating profusely,” Mr. Warner told WDAF-TV, the Fox affiliate in Kansas City, a half hour from Excelsior Springs.
From Washington Times • Oct. 27, 2023
I figure he’s been weeping because I publicly blew my last chance at winning the Excelsior Award.
From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein
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.
