supernumerary
Plural: supernumeraries
Noun
- a person serving no apparent function
- a minor actor in crowd scenes
- A person who works in a group, association, or public office without forming part of the regular staff (the numerary).
- An extra or walk-on, often non-speaking, in a film or play; a spear carrier.
- Something which is beyond the prescribed or standard amount or number.
- An animal which has not formed a pair bond and is therefore single.
- A married man or woman who is a secular member of Opus Dei, a Roman Catholic religious institution.
Adjective Satellite
- more than is needed, desired, or required
- "supernumerary ornamentation"
- "extra ribs as well as other supernumerary internal parts"
Adj
- Greater in number than.
- Beyond the prescribed or standard amount or number; excess, extra.
- Beyond the prescribed or standard amount or number; excess, extra.
- Of an organ or structure: additional to what is normally present.
- Beyond what is necessary; redundant.
Examples
- a supernumerary nipple; a supernumerary tooth
- The judge was a supernumerary, helping the regular judges whenever there was a surplus amount of work.
Origin / Etymology
From Late Latin supernumerarius (“extra soldier added to a legion; supernumerary”), from super (“above; beyond”) + numerus (“number; collection, quantity”) + -ārius (suffix forming adjectives from nouns or numerals). The word is analysable as super- + numeral + -ary.
Synonyms
excess, extra, redundant, spare, spear carrier, supererogatory, superfluous, surplus, epactal, supe, super, supranumerary, unnecessary, unneeded, unwanted
Scrabble Score: 0
supernumerary: not valid in Scrabble (US) TWL Dictionarysupernumerary: not valid in Scrabble (MW) Merriam-Webster Dictionary
supernumerary: not valid in International Collins CSW Dictionary