An archaic or variant spelling of 'exercise,' referring to activity done for training or practice.
From Old French 'exercice,' from Latin 'exercitium.' The spelling 'excercise' appears in Early Modern English texts before standardization settled on 'exercise.'
Medieval scribes spelled the same word multiple ways—'excercise,' 'exercice,' 'exercise'—and printers gradually standardized it, which is why old books look strangely spelled to modern eyes.
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