spruce
English
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/81/Picea_abies.jpg/170px-Picea_abies.jpg)
Etymology
From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Middle English, an alteration of Pruce (“Prussia”), from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Lua error in Module:parameters at line 159: Parameter 1 should be a valid language code; the value NL. is not valid. See WT:LOL., from a (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Lua error in Module:parameters at line 159: Parameter 1 should be a valid language code; the value bat is not valid. See WT:LOL. language, probably (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Old Prussian; for more, see Prussia. Spruce, spruse (1412), and Sprws (1378) were terms for commodities brought to England by Hanseatic merchants (beer, wood, leather). The tree with this name was also believed to have been native to Prussia. The adjective and verb senses ("trim, neat" and "to make trim, neat") are attested from 1594, and originate with spruce leather (1466), which was used to make a popular style of jerkins in the 1400s that was considered smart-looking.
Pronunciation
- enPR: sprōōs, Lua error in Module:parameters at line 159: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value US is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /spɹuːs/
Audio (US): (file) - Rhymes: -uːs
Noun
spruce (countable and uncountable, plural spruces or spruce)
- Any of various large coniferous evergreen trees or shrubs from the genus Picea, found in northern temperate and boreal regions; originally and more fully spruce fir.
- (uncountable) The wood of a spruce.
- (used attributively) Made of the wood of the spruce.
- That spruce table is beautiful!
- (obsolete) Prussian leather; pruce.
- (Can we date this quote by E. Phillips and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- Spruce, a sort of leather corruptly so called for Prussia leather.
- (Can we date this quote by E. Phillips and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
Derived terms
- black spruce(Please check if this is already defined at target. Replace
{{vern}}
with a regular link if already defined. Add novern=1 if not defined.)) (Picea mariana) - blue spruce(Please check if this is already defined at target. Replace
{{vern}}
with a regular link if already defined. Add novern=1 if not defined.) (Lua error in Module:taxlink at line 68: Parameter "ver" is not used by this template.) - dark-bark spruce (Lua error in Module:taxlink at line 68: Parameter "ver" is not used by this template.)
- Engelmann's spruce (Lua error in Module:taxlink at line 68: Parameter "ver" is not used by this template.)
- European spruce) (Picea abies)
- Koyama's spruce (Lua error in Module:taxlink at line 68: Parameter "ver" is not used by this template.)
- Norway spruce (Picea abies)
- red spruce (Lua error in Module:taxlink at line 68: Parameter "ver" is not used by this template.)
- Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis)
- white spruce (Lua error in Module:taxlink at line 68: Parameter "ver" is not used by this template.)
Translations
|
|
See also
Spruce on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
Picea on Wikispecies.Wikispecies
Adjective
spruce (comparative sprucer, superlative sprucest)
- (comparable) Smart, trim, and elegant in appearance; fastidious (said of a person).
- 1916, Henry Beston, A Volunteer Poilu:
- ... a baker's boy in a white apron and blue jumpers went by carrying a basket of bread on his head; and from the nearby tobacconist's, a spruce young lieutenant dressed in a black uniform emerged lighting a cigarette.
- 1919, William Somerset Maugham, The Moon and Sixpence, chapter 31
- He had great neatness of person, and he continued to wear his spruce black coat and his bowler hat, always a little too small for him, in a dapper, jaunty manner.
- 1952, Norman Lewis, Golden Earth:
- A spruce young lieutenant came over, saluted and clambered into the back of our jeep, and we were off.
- 2012, The Economist, 13th Oct 2012, Plessey returns: Chips with everything
- The two clean rooms, where chips are made, are sprucer than a hospital theatre.
Translations
Verb
Lua error in Module:en-headword at line 1145: Legacy parameter 1=STEM no longer supported, just use 'en-verb' without params
- (usually with up) To arrange neatly; tidy up.
- (transitive, intransitive, usually with up) To make oneself spruce (neat and elegant in appearance).
- To tease. (Can we add an example for this sense?)
Derived terms
References
- Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “spruce”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
Anagrams
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms derived from Old Prussian
- English 1-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- Rhymes:English/uːs
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English uncountable nouns
- English countable nouns
- English indeclinable nouns
- English nouns with irregular plurals
- English terms with obsolete senses
- Requests for date/E. Phillips
- English adjectives
- English terms with quotations
- English transitive verbs
- English intransitive verbs
- en:Conifers
- en:Hides