supernumerary

Noun · Adjective
Synonyms: spear carrierextraexcessredundantsparesupererogatorysuperfluoussurplus

WordNet 3.0

Noun (2)

  1. a person serving no apparent function“reducing staff is difficult because our employees include no supernumeraries”
  2. a minor actor in crowd scenesSynonyms: spear carrierextra

Adjective (1)

  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”Synonyms: excessextraredundantsparesupererogatorysuperfluoussurplus
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Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

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]

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]

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