excelsior
The origin and history of excelsior.
Etymology
From Latin excelsior, "higher," the comparative of excelsus ("high"). The rallying-cry sense comes from Longfellow's 1841 poem "Excelsior" and was later popularized by Marvel editor Stan Lee.
Class of 1841
excelsior first entered the language around 1841. Other words from the same year:
See the full Class of 1841 →