Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word excelsior. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word excelsior, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say excelsior in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word excelsior you have here. The definition of the word excelsior will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofexcelsior, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
From Latinexcelsior, comparative of excelsus(“high”). The name of the stuffing material was originally a trademark.
A greeting, farewell or acclamation, presently associated with comic book fandom and famous comic book writer Stan Lee, but continuing a long tradition of parodies of the New York State motto, first by Longfellow and continuing through Thurber to Lee.[1]
1942, Elliot Paul, The Last Time I Saw Paris, Sickle Moon, published 2001, page 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.
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.
2015 March 31, Margalit Fox, “Gary Dahl, Inventor of the Pet Rock, Dies at 78”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
Each Pet Rock came in a cardboard carrying case, complete with air holes, tenderly nestled on a bed of excelsior.
Excelsior (Longfellow) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
