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Excess - Dictionary Definition and Overview |
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Excess : adj : more than is needed, desired, or required; "trying to lose
excess weight"; "found some extra change lying on the
dresser"; "yet another book on heraldry might be
thought redundant"; "skills made redundant by
technological advance"; "sleeping in the spare room";
"supernumerary ornamentation"; "it was supererogatory
of her to gloat"; "delete superfluous (or unnecessary)
words"; "extra ribs as well as other supernumerary
internal parts"; "surplus cheese distributed to the
needy" [syn: extra, redundant, spare, supererogatory,
superfluous, supernumerary, surplus]
(noun)
1: a quantity much larger than is needed [syn: surplus, surplusage,
nimiety]
2: immoderation as a consequence of going beyond sufficient or
permitted limits [syn: excessiveness, inordinateness]
3: the state of being more than full [syn: surfeit, overabundance]
4: excessive indulgence; "the child was spoiled by
overindulgence" [syn: overindulgence]
Based on WordNet 2.0
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Excess : \Ex*cess"\, n. [OE. exces, excess, ecstasy, L. excessus a
going out, loss of self-possession, fr. excedere, excessum,
to go out, go beyond: cf. F. exc[`e]s. See Exceed.]
1. The state of surpassing or going beyond limits; the being
of a measure beyond sufficiency, necessity, or duty; that
which exceeds what is usual or prover; immoderateness;
superfluity; superabundance; extravagance; as, an excess
of provisions or of light.
To gild refined gold, to paint the lily, To throw a
perfume on the violet, . . . Is wasteful and
ridiculous excess. --Shak.
That kills me with excess of grief, this with excess
of joy. --Walsh.
2. An undue indulgence of the appetite; transgression of
proper moderation in natural gratifications; intemperance;
dissipation.
Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess. --Eph. v.
18.
Thy desire . . . leads to no excess That reaches
blame. --Milton.
3. The degree or amount by which one thing or number exceeds
another; remainder; as, the difference between two numbers
is the excess of one over the other.
Spherical excess (Geom.), the amount by which the sum of
the three angles of a spherical triangle exceeds two right
angles. The spherical excess is proportional to the area
of the triangle.
Based on WordNet (r) 2.0 (August 2003)
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