figurative. A person or thing resembling a carbuncle in colour, brilliance, or precious quality. Obsolete.

figurative or allusively. Applied to persons or things, in reference to the pure white plumage of the swan taken as a type of faultlessness or…

In extended use. A person or thing of unique excellence or matchless beauty; a paragon. Now rare.

figurative. Something very precious; a thing or person of great worth, or (in modern use) a person of very brilliant attainments. (Cf. phrases 1.)

figurative; cf. gem, n.1 2, jewel, n. 5a. Obsolete.

One who or that which surmounts; †one who or that which excels (obsolete); an overcomer, vanquisher.

A person or thing which excels or surpasses others of the kind. Now rare.

A peerless or unrivalled primrose. Chiefly figurative: the finest example of its kind. Cf. primrose, n. 3. Obsolete. rare.

A superlative person or thing; one surpassing all others; the supreme or best example (of something).

One who or that which transcends or rises high above the ordinary rank of persons or things; a person or thing of great eminence. Obsolete.

the phoenix (phoenix, n.1 1); (also) figurative a person or thing of unique excellence (cf. phoenix, n.1 2a).

That which is the subject of boast or eulogy; that which is ‘cracked up’; a horse, player, ship, regiment, etc. of superior excellence: see crack…

In extended use: a person or thing of the highest class or rank. Now rare.

colloquial. A particularly fine or desirable person or thing, esp. an attractive young woman; an exceptionally good example of its kind.

A little phoenix. (In quot. depreciative.)

A cause of wonder, high regard, or esteem. In early use also: †a marvellous or astonishing thing (obsolete). Later chiefly in the admiration of ——.

dialect and colloquial. Anything exceptionally large or fine; a person, animal, or thing of superior quality or character.

a person who or thing which is first-rate.

Originally U.S. slang. A poor, indifferent, or inefficient thing, place, person, etc. Chiefly in the negative phrase no slouch of (something); also…

Extended uses. slang. A very efficient or effective person or thing; a person who is exceptionally good at something. Cf. nailing, adj. 1b, corker, n.…

a ‘tip-top’ person or thing; in quot. 1822, applied to a glass filled to the very top, a bumper.

slang. A person or thing that is particularly good of its kind; spec. an attractive young woman.

An impressive or exceptional person; = ripsnorter, n.

The best or most highly developed example of something; the highest point or culmination, the acme.

figurative. A ‘clinking’ good thing: applied to persons, animals, and things of first-rate quality. slang (originally Sporting slang; cf. clinking…

One who or that which clips, moves swiftly, or scuds along; (cf. clip, v.2 7). slang. Applied in praise to a person or thing excellent or…

U.S. slang. An exceptionally smart or accomplished person; (also) a first-rate animal or thing. Now rare.

One who drives a hard bargain; (also) a person or thing in some way superior.

Someone or something exceptionally remarkable in appearance, quality, strength, or the like. Cf. snorter, n.1 2.

A person or thing that beats or excels others. U.S. colloquial.

figurative. colloquial (originally U.S.). A situation or thing that is explosive or controversial in nature; (also) something which is exciting or…

figurative. In colloquial use (chiefly North American). U.S. slang. In predicative use: a person or matter of importance or consequence; an…

slang. A person, animal, or thing of exceptional size, attractiveness, etc.; a splendid specimen; e.g. a well-grown or beautiful female; a ‘heavy…

colloquial. A person or thing of extraordinary excellence or attractiveness.

An excellent person or thing; a marvel, a wonder.

A beautiful person. Also: any admirable person, whether physically attractive or not (cf. beauty, n. 4c). Frequently ironic.

Something striking or excellent; a strikingly-dressed person.

one out of the box: an excellent or exceptional person or thing. Occasionally also out of the box: excellent, exceptional.

(a) a keyless watch; (b) a geared logging locomotive (Webster, 1911); (c) slang a person or thing that is first-rate; also, an enterprising or…

A person or thing of surpassing size or excellence; a stunner; also used ironically. colloquial and dialect.

One who or that which trims or trounces (see trim, v. 10); a stiff competitor, fighter, etc.; a slasher; a stiff letter, article, bout, run, blow…

As predicate. Originally U.S. A person or thing of outstanding quality or skill; an exciting or alluring person or thing, esp. something sexually…

slang. (chiefly U.S.). A first-rate thing or person; also as adj. First-rate, charming.

An excellent person or thing.

slang. Something exceptional of its kind; a fine or impressive example, a ‘corker’. Also: a very attractive, appealing, lively, or admirable…

= jim-dandy, n.

A particularly fine or desirable person or thing, esp. an attractive woman; = peach, n.1 4.

colloquial (originally U.S.). An excellent, pleasing, or beautiful person or thing. Cf. pip, n.2 3.

(a) n. an academic mark in the higher range of the first class, an excellent mark; (b) adj. superlatively excellent or first-rate.

= peacherino, n.

colloquial (originally and chiefly U.S.). Something remarkably good; an excellent or very attractive person or thing. Cf. pippin, n. 4b.

A remarkable or outstanding person or thing, anything of notable excellence. slang (originally U.S.).

Good, excellent, delightful. Cf. bonzer, n. adj.adv. Hence as n.

A person or thing of extraordinary excellence. colloquial.

Phrases: a bad egg (colloquial): a person or a scheme that disappoints expectation. Similarly good egg (slang): (a) an excellent person or object…

An exceptionally outstanding performer in the theatre, music, sport, or some other public sphere; a superior star (star, n.1 4). Also figurative: an…

slang (U.S.). A dollar; also (in U.K.), a pound. Usually in plural. Hence the berries: an excellent person or thing; ‘the cat's whiskers’.

(a) a type of something small or insignificant; (b) plural (slang, originally U.S.), the acme of excellence; ‘the cat's whiskers’.

the cat's pyjamas, the cat's whiskers (slang, originally U.S.): the acme of excellence.

A great success; a film, person, play, song, etc., which enjoys popular success; a hit (hit, n. 4). Also attributive, esp. in smash hit n.

A great success; a film, person, play, song, etc., which enjoys popular success; a hit (hit, n. 4). Also attributive, esp. in smash hit n.

A particularly pleasing, impressive, or desirable person or thing, esp. an attractive woman; a superior example of its kind; a cracker, a beauty.

A delightful, remarkable, or excellent person or thing; frequently ironical.

A formidable or remarkable person or thing (in either a negative or a positive sense).

An impressive, formidable, or excellent person or thing; one who ‘kills’ people (see kill, v. 6a). Cf. ladykiller n. at lady, n. compounds 2e. slang…

= killer, n. 7. Also attributive or as adj.

an impressive person or thing, viewed as being difficult to rival or surpass.

= peacherino, n.

U.S. slang. A great, excellent, or wonderful person or thing.

An excellent, remarkable, or very attractive person or thing; a superior example of its kind; a cracker, a beauty.

An outstanding or exciting person or thing. Chiefly as predicate. Frequently ironic. Cf. hot stuff, n. 2.

Used allusively to denote organizations, etc., considered equal to Tiffany and Co. in high-quality craftsmanship or exclusiveness. Also Tiffany-type…

In plural. With the. = dog's bollocks n. (b) at dog, n.1 compounds 3d.