Added 9 October 2026
excelsior
/ɛkˈsɛl.si.ɔː/ adjective
Latin root: excelsior Wiktionary
adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about excelsior at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- Loftier, yet higher, more elevated; ever upward.
- More surpassing, more excelling.
interjection
noun
- The size of type between Norse and brilliant, standardized as 3-point.
- Stuffing material (as for furniture and mattresses) made of slender, curled woodshavings, as a substitute for hair.
Origin
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 poem Excelsior (1841), 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.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)