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spirit

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: Spirit, spírit, and špirit

English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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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 (“I 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.

Pronunciation

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  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈspɪɹɪt/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈspɪɹɪt/, /ˈspiɹɪt/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɪɹɪt
  • Hyphenation: spir‧it

Noun

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spirit (countable and uncountable, plural spirits)

  2. The soul of a person or other creature.
    • 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter VII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
      […] 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.
    • 1967, MacCormack, Woman Times Seven:
      […] a triumph of the spirit over the flesh.
    • 2004, George Carlin, “THAT'S THE SPIRIT”, in When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?‎[1], New York: Hyperion Books, →ISBN, →OCLC, →OL, page 20:
      I don't understand these people who call themselves spiritual advisors. Franklin Graham, the unfortunate son of Billy Graham, is George Bush's spiritual advisor. Bill Clinton had Jesse Jackson.
      Here's the part I don't understand: How can someone else advise you on your spirit? Isn't spirit an intensely personal, internal thing? Doesn't it, by its very nature, elude definition, much less analysis? What kind of advice could some drone who has devoted his life to the self-deception of religion possibly give you about your spirit? It sounds like a hustle to me.
    • 2008, BioWare, Mass Effect, Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Turians: Religion Codex entry:
      Turians believe that groups and areas have "spirits" that transcend the individual. For example, a military unit would be considered to have a literal spirit that embodies the honor and courage it has displayed. A city's spirit reflects the accomplishments and industry of its residents. An ancient tree's spirit reflects the beauty and tranquility of the area it grows within.
      These spirits are neither good nor evil, nor are they appealed to for intercession. Turians do not believe spirits can affect the world, but spirits can inspire the living. Prayers and rituals allow an individual to converse with a spirit for guidance or inspiration. For example a turian who finds his loyalty tested may appeal to the spirit of his unit, hoping to reconnect with the pride and honor of the group. A turian who wishes to create a work of art may attempt to connect with the spirit of a beautiful location.
  4. 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.
    • 1693, John Locke, Some Thoughts Concerning Education:
      Whilst young, preserve his tender mind from all impressions and notions of spirits and goblins […] in the dark.
    • 1980, AA Book of British Villages, Drive Publications Ltd, page 258:
      An unusual custom is followed at Llangennith, when shotguns are fired at a wedding - to scare off evil spirits from the newlyweds.
    • 2009, Alexander Perls, “With a Spirit” (track 10), in 009 Sound System, performed by Alexander Perls:
      Walk slowly with a spirit by your side.
  6. Enthusiasm.
    School spirit is at an all-time high.
    • 2011 October 1, Phil Dawkes, “Sunderland 2-2 West Brom”, in BBC Sport:
      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.
  8. The manner or style of something.
    In the spirit of forgiveness, we didn't press charges.
    • 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter IV, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC, page 46:
      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.
    • 1711 May, [Alexander Pope], An Essay on Criticism, London: […] W[illiam] Lewis […]; and sold by W[illiam] Taylor […], T[homas] Osborn[e] […], and J[ohn] Graves […], →OCLC:
      A perfect judge will read each work of wit / With the same spirit that its author writ.
  9. Intent; real meaning; opposed to the letter, or formal statement.
    the spirit of an enterprise, or of a document
  11. (usually in the plural) A volatile liquid, such as alcohol. The plural form spirits is a generic term for distilled alcoholic beverages.
    • 1807, A New and Complete Encyclopaedia; or, Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences: Vol III‎[2], page 48:
      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.
    • 2004, Maurice P. Crosland, Historical Studies in the Language of Chemistry‎[3], page 89:
      Another pair of terms which caused some confusion were Spirit of Saturn and Spirit of Venus, names suggesting compounds of lead and copper respectively. Jean Beguin described the preparation from minium and distilled vinegar of a liquid he called burning spirit of Saturn, because it was inflammable and he thought it was a compound of lead. Actually the lead takes no part in the reaction and the product of distilling lead acetate is impure acetone. Beguin’s terminology did not go without comment however, for Christopher Glaser later referred to ‘A burning Spirit of Saturn (as it is called) but rather, a Spirit of the Volatile Salt of Vinegar’. Tachenius referred to the product of distillation of copper acetate as ‘pretended spirit of Venus’ because it was really only distilled vinegar - the meaning which Macquer gave to the expression. It is typical of the confusion of terminology in early chemistry that the London Pharmacopoeia of 1721 gave the name Spiritus Veneris to sulphuric acid obtained by the distillation of copper sulphate.
  13. Energy; ardour.
    • 1655, Thomas Fuller, The Church-history of Britain; […], London: […] Iohn Williams […], →OCLC, (please specify |book=I to XI):
      "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.
  15. One who is vivacious or lively; one who evinces great activity or peculiar characteristics of mind or temper.
    a ruling spirit; a schismatic spirit
    • 1697, Virgil, “(please specify the book number)”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
      Such spirits as he desired to please, such would I choose for my judges.
  17. (often in the plural) 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
    • 1667, Robert South, Sermon VII:
      God has […] made a spirit of building succeed a spirit of pulling down.
  18. (obsolete) Air set in motion by breathing; breath; hence, sometimes, life itself.
  19. (obsolete) A rough breathing; an aspirate, such as the letter h; also, a mark denoting aspiration.
    • 1640, Ben Jonson, The English Grammar:
      Be it a letter or spirit, we have great use of it.
  21. (alchemy, obsolete) Any of the four substances: sulphur, sal ammoniac, quicksilver, and arsenic (or, according to some, orpiment).
  22. (dyeing) Stannic chloride.

Derived terms

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English terms starting with “spirit”

Translations

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See also

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Verb

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spirit (third-person singular simple present spirits, present participle spiriting, simple past and past participle spirited)

  1. To carry off, especially in haste, secrecy, or mystery.
    • 1835, Nathaniel Parker Willis, Pencillings by the Way:
      I felt as if I had been spirited into some castle of felicity.
    • 1986 July 28, R.E.M., “I Believe”, in Lifes Rich Pageant:
      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.
    • 2009 February 8, Dave Kehr, “Buñuel at His Wildest, in Circulation Again”, in New York Times‎[4]:
      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.
    • 1714 February, [Jonathan Swift], The Publick Spirit of the Whigs: Set forth in Their Generous Encouragement of the Author of the Crisis: […], London: […] [John Barber] for John Morphew, […], →OCLC, page 39:
      [H]e left behind many Officers and private Men, vvho novv ſpirit-up and aſſiſt thoſe obſtinate People to continue in their Rebellion.

Derived terms

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Anagrams

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Indonesian

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Etymology

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From Dutch spirit, from 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”). Doublet of spiritus.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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spirit (plural spirit-spirit)

  1. spirit:
    1. the soul of a person or other creature.
      Synonyms: jiwa, roh, sukma
    2. enthusiasm; energy; ardour
      Synonym: semangat
  2. methylated spirit
    Synonym: spiritus

Derived terms

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Further reading

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Middle English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Old French espirit (“spirit”), from Latin spīritus (“breath; spirit”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)peys- (“to blow, breathe”).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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spirit (plural spirites)

  1. life, vital breath
  2. A living, rational creature.

Descendants

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  • English: spirit
  • ⇒ Yola: spiritogue

References

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Romanian

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Latin spiritus. Compare also spiriduș.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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spirit n (plural spirite)

  1. spirit, ghost
    Synonym: duh
  2. essence, psyche
  3. wit, genius
  4. manner, style

Declension

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singular plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative-accusative spirit spiritul spirite spiritele
genitive-dative spirit spiritului spirite spiritelor
vocative spiritule spiritelor
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See also

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Tok Pisin

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Etymology

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From English spirit.

Noun

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spirit

  1. spirit (physical form of God)
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