superior (superior rior)

and n. [Formerly also super i our; Now from the depth of hell they lift their sight, And at a distance see superior light. Dryden, tr. of Ovid's Meta morph., Ceyx and Alcyone, 1. 138. 2. In an at. and zoöl., upper in relative position or direction; uppermost with regard to some thing else: correlated with anterior, inferior, and posterior. The epithet was originally used in anatomical language to note the parts relatively so situated in man, and has caused much confusion in its extension to other animals, since that which is superior in man becomes anterior in most animals, and so on with the three correlated words. The tendency is now to replace these epithets with others not affected by the posture of the animal, as cephalic, caudal, dorsal, and ventral, with the corresponding adverbs ending in -ad. The vague ambiguity of such terms as superior , inferior, anterior, posterior, etc., must have been felt and acknowledged by every person the least versant with anatomical description. Dr. John Barclay, A New Anatomical [Nomenclature (1803). 3. In bot.: (a) Placed higher, as noting the relative position of the calyx and ovary: thus, the ovary is superior when the calyx is quite free from it, as normally; the calyx is superior when from being adnate to the ovary it appears to spring from its top. (b) Next the axis; be longing to the part of an axillary flower which is toward the main stem. Also called posterior. (c) Pointing toward the apex of the fruit; as cending: said of the radicle.-4. Higher in rank or office; more exalted in dignity: as, a superior officer; a superior degree of nobility. The apostles in general, in their ordinary offices,... were superior to the seventy-two, the antece ors of the presbyterate. Jer . Taylor , Works (ed. 1835), II. 163. 5. Higher or greater in respect to some quality or property; po e ed or manifested in a higher (or, absolutely, very high) degree: applied to persons and things, and to their qualities and properties; surpa ing others in the greatne , goodne , extent, or value of any quality; in math., greater. Honesty has no fence against superior cunning. Swift, Gulliver's Travels, i. 6. His [Dryden's] claims on the gratitude of James were superior to those of any man of letters in the Kingdom. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., vii. The French were superior in the number and condition of their cavalry. Pre scott, Ferd. and Isa., ii. 12. Nor do I know anything in ivory carving superior to the panels of the tomb (Maximilian's] itself. C. D. Warner, Roundabout Journey, p. 70. 6. Being beyond the power or influence of something; too great or firm to be subdued or affected by something; above: used only pred icatively or appositively: with to: as, a man superior to revenge. Sometimes used sarcastically, as of an a umed quality, without to: as, he smiled with a superior air. Great Mother, let me once be able To have a Garden, House, and Stable, That I may read, and ride, and plant, Superior to Desire, or Want. Prior, Written at Paris, 1700, 7. In logic , le in comprehension; le determinate; having le depth, and consequently commonly wider. Biped is a genus with reference to man and bird, but a species with respect to the superior genus, animal. J. S. Mill, Logic, I. vii. § 3. Superior conjunction, in astron. See conjunction, 2.Superior Court. See court. Superior figures or letters, small figures or letters cast at the top of text-type, used as marks of reference to notes or for other purposes: for examples, see II., 4, below. - Superior limit, a value which some quantity cannot exceed. - Superior planet, a planet farther from the sun than the earth, especially Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptunehe Superior slope, in fort., the slope from the crest of parapet to the top of the exterior slope, with which it forms an obtuse angle. Superior wings, in entom., the anterior wings, which overlie or fold over the posterior ones; the upper wings. =Syn. 5. Paramount, surpa ing, predomi nant. II. n. 1. One who is superior to or above another; one who is higher or greater than another, as in social station, rank, office, dignity, power, or ability. 6067 Now we imagine ourselves so able every man to teach and direct all others that none of us can brook it to have superiors . Hooker, Eccles. Polity, vii. 16. supernal I well know the peril which lies in superlatives - they were made for the use of very young persons. Josiah Quincy , Figures of the Past, p. 334. Specifically -2. The chief of a monastery, con superlatively (su-per'la-tiv-li), adv . In a su perlative manner or degree; in the highest or vent, or abbey. -3 abbey.-3. In Scots law, one who or whose predece or has made an original grant utmost degree. Bacon. of heritable property on condition that the superlativene (su-per'la-tiv-nes), n. grantee, termed the va al, shall annually pay to state or character of being superlative. Bailey, him a certain sum (commonly called feu - duty ) 1727. or perform certain services.-4. In printing, super line (sūpėr-lin), n. a small figure or letter standing above or near The A two-dimensional linear continuum in five-dimensional space. determinant. the top of the line, used as a mark of reference super linear (sū-per-lin'e-är), n. In math., a or for other purposes: thus, x2, an; so back1, back2, and other homonyms as distinguished in this dictionary. - To enter with a superior. See enter. superiore (sū-pē'ri-or-es), n. [