Search the Dictionary

To make of less importance, or throw into the background, by superior excellence; to dwarf; to obscure. Becon.

The light elastic wood of the Aspidosperma excelsum, a tree of Guiana having a fluted trunk readily split into planks.

æ bore into palm trees, and are called palm borers, and grugru worms. They are considered excellent food. -- Palm wine, the sap of several species of palms, especially, in India, of the wild date palm (Phoenix sylvestrix), the palmyra, and the Caryota urens. When fermented it yields by distillation arrack, and by evap…

A writer of memoirs of religious persona, as examples of Christian excellence.

A model or pattern; a pattern of excellence or perfection; as, a paragon of beauty or eloquence. Udall. Man, . . . the paragon of animals ! Shak. The riches of sweet Mary's son, Boy-rabbi, Israel's paragon. Emerson.

tion with latitude, the author's words are not so strictly followed as his sense. Dryden. Excellent paraphrases of the Psalms of David. I. Disraeli. His sermons a living paraphrase upon his practice. Sowth. The Targums are also called the Chaldaic or Aramaic Paraphrases. Shipley.

Of or pertaining to Paros, an island in the Ægean Sea noted for its excellent statuary marble; as, Parian marble. Parian chronicle, a most ancient chronicle of the city of Athens, engraved on marble in the Isle of Paros, now among the Arundelian marbles.

To transcend; to surpass; to excel; to exceed. And strive to pass . . . Their native music by her skillful art. Spenser. Whose tender power Passes the strength of storms in their most desolate hour. Byron.

Surpassing; excelling. [Obs.] Chaucer.

hat nothing requisite is wanting; entire development; consummate culture, skill, or moral excellence; the highest attainable state or degree of excellence; maturity; as, perfection in an art, in a science, or in a system; perfection in form or degree; fruits in perfection.

under Ground. -- Norfolk Island pine (Bot.), a beautiful coniferous tree, the Araucaria excelsa. -- Pine barren, a tract of infertile land which is covered with pines. [Southern U.S.] -- Pine borer (Zoöl.), any beetle whose larvæ bore into pine trees. -- Pine finch. (Zoöl.) See Pinefinch, in the Vocabulary. -- Pin…

Anything supremely excellent; the embodiment or perfection of something. "The very pink of courtesy." Shak.

persons of opposite sex, unmixed with carnal desires, and regarding the mind only and its excellences; -- a species of love for which Plato was a warm advocate. -- Platonic year (Astron.), a period of time determined by the revolution of the equinoxes, or the space of time in which the stars and constellations return…

The European redwing. [Prov. Eng.] Pop corn. (a) Corn, or maize, of peculiar excellence for popping; especially, a kind the grains of which are small and compact. (b) Popped corn; which has been popped.

ppening, being, or existing. "All possibility of error." Hooker. "Latent possibilities of excellence." Johnson.

To extol in words or song; to magnify; to glorify on account of perfections or excellent works; to do honor to; to display the excellence of; -- applied especially to the Divine Being. Praise ye him, all his angels; praise ye him, all his hosts! Ps. cxlviii. 2.

ed to God; as, a written or extemporaneous prayer; to repeat one's prayers. He made those excellent prayers which were published immediately after his death. Bp. Fell. Prayer book, a book containing devotional prayers. -- Prayer meeting, a meeting or gathering for prayer to God.

To surpass; to excel; to exceed. [Obs.] Howell.

Excellence; superiority. [Obs.] Sheldon.

Excellent; surpassing. [Obs.] Holland.