Lewis & Short

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ex-cello, cellŭi, celsum, 3 (also acc. to the 2d conj., praes. indic. excellet, Aem. Mac. ap. Diom. p. 371 P., and subj. excelleat, Cic. Fragm. ap. Prisc. p. 838 and 896 P.), v. a. and n. [cello].

  1. I. Act., to raise up, elevate; only: recellere reclinare, et excellere in altum extollere, Fest. p. 274, 31; and Paul. ib. 275, 11 Müll.; cf. the P. a. excelsus, below.
  2. II. Neut., to rise, elevate itself (cf.: antecello, praesto, antecedo, emineo, floreo, vigeo).
    1. A. Lit., only in the P. a. excellens, q. v. A.
    2. B. Trop.
      1. 1. In gen., to exult, be elated: animus excellit rebus secundis, Cato ap. Gell. 7, 3, 14; 13, 24, 14.
        Far more freq. (but not in Plaut. and Ter.; and in the verb. finit. not in Aug. poets),
      2. 2. In partic., to be eminent, to distinguish one’s self for any quality above others; to surpass, excel, in a good or (less freq.) in a bad sense: ut is, qui dignitate principibus excellit facilitate infimis par esse videatur, Cic. de Imp. Pomp. 14, 41: ut inter quos posset excellere, cum iis, etc., Cic. Inv. 1, 2 fin.: inter omnes, id. Or. 2, 6: super ceteros, Liv. 28, 43: ante ceteros, App. Flor. 16.
        With dat.: qui longe ceteris excellere pictoribus existimabatur, Cic. Inv. 2, 1, 1: quae una ceteris excellebat, id. Tusc. 2, 18, 43; id. Fin. 3, 2, 8; id. de Or. 2, 54, 216; id. de Imp. Pomp. 13, 39 al.: ceteris, Quint. 2, 20, 9.
        With abl.: bonā famā, Lucr. 6, 13: ingenio scientiāque, Cic. Ac. 2, 2, 4: animi magnitudine, id. Off. 1, 18 fin.: actione, id. Brut. 59, 215: hoc genere virtutis, id. Fam. 11, 21, 4: dignitate, Caes. B. G. 6, 13, 9: altitudine, Plin. 16, 6, 18, § 24: candore, id. 37, 6, 23, § 88 et saep.
        With in and abl.: in arte, Cic. Rep. 1, 13: in aliqua arte et facultate, id. de Or. 1, 50, 217: in alia parte orationis, id. Brut. 59, 215: maxime in amicitiis expetendis colendisque, id. Lael. 9, 30; id. de Or. 2, 54, 217 et saep.
        Absol.: excellit atque eminet vis, potestas nomenque regium, Cic. Rep. 2, 28; 2, 23; 1, 22; id. Div. 1, 19, 38; 1, 41, 91; id. Fam. 4, 3 fin.; Tac. Or. 32 (with eminere) et saep.
        In a bad sense: vitiis, Cic. Leg. 1, 19, 51: cum haec (flagitia), quae excellunt, me nosse videas, id. Pis. 38 fin.
        Hence,
      1. 1. excellens, entis, P. a., rising, overtopping.
    1. A. Lit., high, lofty (very rare; not in Cic.): oppida excellentibus locis constituta, Auct. B. Hisp. 8, 4: corpore excellens, Vell. 2, 107.
      Far more freq. and class.,
    2. B. Trop., distinguishing himself, distinguished, superior, surpassing, excellent: deos rerum omnium praestantia excellentes, Cic. Div. 2, 63: Brutus noster excellens omni genere laudis, id. Ac. 1, 3 fin.; for which also: in omni genere, id. Tusc. 1, 1, 2; id. de Or. 2, 54, 220: cujus excellens in re militari gloria, id. Rep. 2, 17: Galba fuit inter tot aequales unus excellens, id. Brut. 97, 333: natura excellens atque praestans, id. N. D. 1, 20 fin.: scientia excellens atque singularis, id. Fam. 4, 3 fin.: vir excellenti providentia, id. Rep. 2, 3; for which: excellente ingenii magnitudine, id. Off. 1, 33 (al. excellenti and excellentis, v. Orell. ad h. l.): studium, Caes. B. C. 3, 34 fin.: pulchritudo muliebris formae, Cic. Inv. 2, 1, 1: cygnus, * Verg. A. 12, 250 et saep.
      Subst.: excellentia, ōrum, n., exceptional instances: nec excellentia, sed quotidiana tractabo, Aus. Grat. Act. § 62.
      Comp.: ova excellentiora, Plin. 29, 3, 11, § 50: nihil illo (sc. Alcibiade) fuisse excellentius, vel in vitiis, vel in virtutibus, Nep. Alcib. 1.
      Sup.: excellentissima virtus, Caes. B. C. 3, 99, 2; Sen. Vit. Beat. 14: cultus, Suet. Ner. 20: triumphus, id. Caes. 37: aurum, Plin. 37, 4, 15, § 56 et saep.
      Adv.: excellen-ter, excellently, Cic. Off. 1, 18, 61; Nep. Att. 1, 3.
      Comp., Cic. Sest. 45.
      Sup.: excellentissime, Aug. Civ. D. 17, 8.
      1. 2. ex-celsus, a, um, P. a., elevated, lofty, high (freq. and class.; cf.: celsus, editus, altus, sublimis, procerus, arduus).
    1. A. Lit.: mons, Caes. B. C. 1, 80, 2; cf.: vertex montis, * Verg. A. 5, 35: locus, Cic. Rep. 6, 11: porticus, id. Att. 4, 16, 14: basis (statuae), id. Verr. 2, 4, 34; cf. signum, id. ib.: statura, Suet. Caes. 45: aves (Ibes), Cic. N. D. 1, 36, 101: altitudo vineae, Plin. 17, 22, 35, § 184 et saep.
      Comp.: in excelsiore loco, Cic. Rep. 2, 31: cornu (bovis), Caes. B. G. 6, 26, 1; cf.: crura chamaeleonis, Plin. 8, 33, 51, § 120.
      Sup.: mons, Caes. B. C. 1, 70, 4; cf. locus, Hirt. B. G. 8, 33 fin.: rupes, Plin. 10, 6, 7, § 19: aegilops, id. 16, 6, 8, § 22; 11, 37, 49, § 135.
        1. b. Subst.
      1. 1. excelsum, i, n., a height: simulacrum Jovis in excelso collocare, Cic. Cat. 3, 8, 20; id. Att. 6, 1, 17: Phoebus ab excelso, quantum patet, aspicit aequor, Ov. H. 15, 165; so, ab excelso, id. F. 2, 369: prohibebit in excelsum emicare (vitem), Plin. 17, 22, 35, § 184.
      2. 2. Ex-celsus, i, m., the Highest, the Most High, i. e. God (eccl. Lat.), Vulg. Psa. 72, 11 al.
    2. B. Trop.
      1. 1. In gen., high, lofty, distinguished, excellent, noble: te natura excelsum quendam videlicet et altum et humana despicientem genuit, Cic. Tusc. 2, 4, 11; cf.: magnus homo et excelsus, id. Mur. 29: animus excelsus magnificusque, id. Off. 1, 23; cf. id. Opt. Gen. 4, 12: excelso et illustri loco sita est laus tua, id. Fam. 2, 5; cf.: te in excelsissimo humani generis fastigio positum, Plin. H. N. praef. § 11: species magnae excelsaeque gloriac, Tac. Agr. 4 fin. et saep.
        Comp.: (orator) grandior et quodammodo excelsior, Cic. Or. 34; cf. Quint. 12, 10, 23; Plin. Pan. 94, 3: quo tua in me humanitas fuerit excelsior quam in te mea, Cic. Att. 3, 20 fin.
        Sup.:         excelsissimae victoriae, Vell. 2, 96 fin.: duces, id. 2, 114 fin.
        Subst.
          1. (α) , m. plur.: excelsi, ōrum, the lofty; prov.: excelsis multo facilius casus nocet, Pub. Syr. 162 (Rib.).
          2. (β) Neut.: excelsum, i, an elevated station or position: in excelso aetatem agere, i. e. in a high station, Sall. C. 51, 12.
            Esp. (eccl. Lat.): in excelsis, in the highest, in ascriptions of praise, Vulg. Psa. 148, 1 al.
      2. 2. Esp., in the later period of the empire, a title of high official dignitaries, e. g. of the praefectus praetorio, etc.
        Adv.: excelsē, highly, on high, loftily.
      1. 1. Lit.: si vitis scandit excelsius, Col. 4, 1, 5.
      2. 2. Trop., in an elevated manner, highly: ornat excelse, Plin. Ep. 2, 3, 3: excelsius magnificentiusque et dicet et sentiet, Cic. Or. 34, 119: excelsissime floruit (Sparta), exceedingly, Vell. 1, 6, 3.