[syn: excess, extra, redundant, spare, supererogatory, superfluous, supernumerary, surplus]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Supernumerary \Su`per*nu"mer*a*ry\, a. [L. supernumerarius: cf.
OF. supernum['e]raire, F. surnum['e]raire. See Super-, and
Numerary, Number.]
1. Exceeding the number stated or prescribed; as, a
supernumerary officer in a regiment.
[1913 Webster]
2. Exceeding a necessary, usual, or required number or
quality; superfluous; as, supernumerary addresses;
supernumerary expense. --Addison.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Supernumerary \Su`per*nu"mer*a*ry\, n.; pl. Supernumeraries.
1. A person or thing beyond the number stated.
[1913 Webster]
2. A person or thing beyond what is necessary or usual;
especially, a person employed not for regular service, but
only to fill the place of another in case of need;
specifically, in theaters, a person who is not a regular
actor, but is employed to appear in a stage spectacle.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
supernumerary
adj 1: 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: excess, extra, redundant, spare,
supererogatory, superfluous, supernumerary,
surplus]
n 1: a person serving no apparent function; "reducing staff is
difficult because our employees include no supernumeraries"
2: a minor actor in crowd scenes [syn: supernumerary, spear
carrier, extra]