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excelsior

 - 4 dictionary results

ex⋅cel⋅si⋅or

[ik-sel-see-er, ek-]
–noun
1. fine wood shavings, used for stuffing, packing, etc.
2. Printing. a 3-point type: a size smaller than brilliant.

Origin:
1770–80, Americanism; formerly a trademark

ex⋅cel⋅si⋅or

[ek-sel-si-ohr; Eng. ik-sel-see-awr, ek-]
–adjective Latin.
ever upward: motto of New York State.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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ex·cel·si·or   (ĭk-sěl'sē-ər)   
n.  Slender, curved wood shavings used especially for packing.

[Originally a trademark.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

excelsior 
L. excelsior "higher," comp. of excelsus "high," pp. of excellere (see excel), taken 1778 as motto of New York State, where it was apparently mistaken for an adverb. Popularized 1841 as title of a poem by Longfellow. As a trade name for "thin shavings of soft wood used for stuffing cushions, etc.," first recorded 1868, Amer.Eng.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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