excursus

[ ek-skur-suhs ]

noun

, plural ex·cur·sus·es, ex·cur·sus.

1. a detailed discussion of some point in a book, especially one added as an appendix.
2. a digression or incidental excursion, as in a narrative.

excursus

/ ɛkˈskɜːsəs /

noun

1. an incidental digression from the main topic under discussion or from the main story in a narrative

Word History and Origins

Origin of excursus¹

1795–1805; < Latin: a running out, sally, digression, derivative of excurrere to run out. See ex- ¹, course

Word History and Origins

Origin of excursus¹

C19: from Latin: a running forth, from excurrere to run out

Example Sentences

His process involves a series of sketches, long textual excursuses and model-making with his team.

From New York Times

Older readers, however, may feel like Gandalf the Grey when encountering words such as “anyways,” or an excursus into the joys of snail mail.

From Washington Post

Especially trying is Book Six’s 400-plus page excursus into Hitler and the etiology of the Third Reich.

From New York Times

Following an excursus into the world of poststructuralist theory at Yale and in Paris, he switched his field to political science and received his Ph.D. from Harvard’s government department.

From The New Yorker

There are references to Twitter trolls, a gloss on Putin and dezinformatsiya, and a brief excursus on Derrida, deconstruction and postmodernism.

From New York Times