spirit
nounverbcommon in dialogue
- United Kingdom//ˈspɪɹɪt//
- United States//ˈspɪɹɪt//
- United States//ˈspiɹɪt//
- Scotland//ˈspɪɾɪt//
The soul of a person or other creature.
noun
- 1
The soul of a person or other creature.
[…] St. Bede's at this period of its history was perhaps the poorest and most miserable parish in the East End of London. Close-packed, crushed by the buttressed height of the railway viaduct, rendered airless by huge walls of factories, it at once banished lively interest from a stranger's mind and left only a dull oppression of the spirit.
[…] a triumph of the spirit over the flesh.
- 2
A supernatural being, often but not exclusively without physical form; ghost, fairy, angel.
A wandering spirit haunts the island.
He has seen spirits roam the house.
Whilst young, preserve his tender mind from all impressions and notions of spirits and goblins[…] in the dark.
An unusual custom is followed at Llangennith, when shotguns are fired at a wedding - to scare off evil spirits from the newlyweds.
- 3
A feeling of passion. Enthusiasm.
School spirit is at an all-time high.
The result may not quite give the Wearsiders a sweet ending to what has been a sour week, following allegations of sexual assault and drug possession against defender Titus Bramble, but it does at least demonstrate that their spirit remains strong in the face of adversity.
- 4
A feeling of passion. Energy; ardour.
"Write it then, quickly," replied Bede; and summoning all his spirits together, like the last blaze of a candle going out, he indited it, and expired.
- 5
The manner or style of something.
In the spirit of forgiveness, we didn't press charges.
No matter how early I came down, I would find him on the veranda, smoking cigarettes, or[…]. And at last I began to realize in my harassed soul that all elusion was futile, and to take such holidays as I could get, when he was off with a girl, in a spirit of thankfulness.
A perfect judge will read each work of wit / With the same spirit that its author writ.
- 6
Intent; real meaning; opposed to the letter, or formal statement.
the spirit of an enterprise, or of a document
- 7
A volatile liquid, such as alcohol. The plural form spirits is a generic term for distilled alcoholic beverages.
CRYSTALS of Venus or of copper, called also vitriol of Venus, is copper reduced into the form of vitriol by spirit of nitre, or by dissolving verdegris in good distilled vinegar, till the acid be saturated; it is very caustic and used to eat off proud flesh. It is also used by painters, and manufacturers, and sold under the name of distilled vinegar. See CHEMISTRY.
- 8
One who is vivacious or lively; one who evinces great activity or peculiar characteristics of mind or temper.
a ruling spirit; a schismatic spirit
Such spirits as he desired to please, such would I choose for my judges.
- 9
Temper or disposition of mind; mental condition or disposition; intellectual or moral state.
to be cheerful, or in good spirits; to be down-hearted, or in bad spirits
God has […] made a spirit of building succeed a spirit of pulling down.
- 10
obsoleteAir set in motion by breathing; breath; hence, sometimes, life itself.
For else he sure had left not one aliue,>br>But all in his reuenge of spirite would depriue.
But the milde air with season moderate / Gently attempred, and disposd so well, / That still it breathed forth sweet spirit & holesome smell.
- 11
obsoleteA rough breathing; an aspirate, such as the letter h; also, a mark denoting aspiration.
Be it a letter or spirit, we have great use of it.
- 12
obsoleteAny of the four substances: sulphur, sal ammoniac, quicksilver, and arsenic (or, according to some, orpiment).
- 13
Stannic chloride.
- 14
The essence behind historical development of both individual and society evolving towards the Absolute.
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *(s)peys-der.? Latin spīrō Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Italic *-tus Latin -tus Latin spīritus Old French espiritbor. Middle English spirit English spirit From Middle English spirit, from Old French espirit (“spirit”), from Latin spīritus (“breath; spirit”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)peys- (“to blow, breathe”). Compare inspire, respire, transpire, all ultimately from Latin spīrō (“to breathe, blow, respire”). In this sense, displaced native Middle English gast (from Old English gāst), whence modern English ghost. Doublet of spiritus, spirytus, sprite, spright, and esprit.
verb
- 1
To carry off, especially in haste, secrecy, or mystery.
I felt as if I had been spirited into some castle of felicity.
When I was young and full of grace, I sprited a rattlesnake. When I was young, a fever fell my spirit; I will not tell. You're on your honor not to tell.
God does not make an appearance, but the Devil (Ms. Pinal) emphatically does: first in the guise of a schoolgirl who tries to lure Simon down with the sight of her shapely legs; then as a bearded but blatantly female Jesus carrying a lamb; and finally as a stylishly coiffed woman who succeeds in spiriting Simon off, by means of a jet, to a Manhattan discotheque — Buñuel’s persuasive idea of hell.
- 2
Sometimes followed by up: to animate with vigour; to excite; to encourage; to inspirit.
Civil dissensions often spirit the ambition of private men.
[H]e left behind many Officers and private Men, vvho novv ſpirit-up and aſſiſt thoſe obſtinate People to continue in their Rebellion.
Forms
- plural
- spirits
- past tense
- spirited
- past participle
- spirited
- present participle
- spiriting
- third person singular
- spirits
spirit · The soul of a person or other creature.
spirited · Lively, vigorous, animated or courageous.spirits · Distilled alcoholic beverages.spiritual · Of or pertaining to the spirit or the soul.