a. (sb.) [ad. late L. superexcellent-, -ens: see SUPER- 9 a and EXCELLENT.] That superexcels; excellent in a high degree; very or supremely excellent.
1561. Preston, K. Cambyses, 948. A banquett royall and superexcellent.
1621. Burton, Anat. Mel., II. iv. II. i. 452. Tobacco, divine, rare, superexcellent Tobacco.
1660. R. Burney, Κέρδ. Δῶρον (1661), 108. The King, to whose super-excellent power and facultie God himself gives witnesse to.
1712. Steele, Spect., No. 540, ¶ 6. In Holiness, Temperance, Chastity, and Justice super-excellent.
1844. Stephens, Bk. Farm, I. 490. The system of under or deep-draining, being the deepest method of any, is super-excellent.
1874. Lisle Carr, Jud. Gwynne, I. i. 20. A very true woman and no super-excellent heroine.
b. sb. A superexcellent person or thing. nonce-use.
1816. Moore, Lett. to Power, 24 Sept. Two or three of the Irish [songs] equal to any I have done;… but our plan is to go on till we can select twelve super-excellents.
Hence Superexcellently adv.
1683. E. Hooker, Pref. Pordage’s Mystic Div., 103. That … Divinest Mysterie of Love, sciz God made Flesh: which gave (as one superexcellently) the Angels new Anthems.
a. 1687. Cotton, New-Year, 38. And then the next in reason shou’d Be superexcellently good.
1906. Westm. Gaz., 15 March, 8/1. The atmosphere of the highly cultured … home … is superexcellently achieved.
