spirit
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈspɪɹɪt/
ipa: /ˈspɪɹɪt/
ipa: /ˈspiɹɪt/
rhymes: -ɪɹɪt
Forms: form: spirits
form: spir't
Etymology: 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.
Senses: examples: text: […] 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.
ref: 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter VII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
text: […] a triumph of the spirit over the flesh.
ref: 1967, MacCormack, Woman Times Seven:
text: 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.
ref: 2004, George Carlin, “THAT'S THE SPIRIT”, in When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?, New York: Hyperion Books, →ISBN, →OCLC, →OL, page 20:
text: 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.
ref: 2008, BioWare, Mass Effect, Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Turians: Religion Codex entry:
glosses: The soul of a person or other creature.
examples: text: A wandering spirit haunts the island.
text: He has seen spirits roam the house.
text: Whilst young, preserve his tender mind from all impressions and notions of spirits and goblins[…] in the dark.
ref: 1693, John Locke, Some Thoughts Concerning Education:
text: An unusual custom is followed at Llangennith, when shotguns are fired at a wedding - to scare off evil spirits from the newlyweds.
ref: 1980, AA Book of British Villages, Drive Publications Ltd, page 258:
text: Walk slowly with a spirit by your side.
ref: 2009, Alexander Perls, “With a Spirit” (track 10), in 009 Sound System, performed by Alexander Perls:
glosses: A supernatural being, often but not exclusively without physical form; ghost, fairy, angel.
examples: text: School spirit is at an all-time high.
text: 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.
ref: 2011 October 1, Phil Dawkes, “Sunderland 2-2 West Brom”, in BBC Sport:
glosses: Enthusiasm.
examples: text: In the spirit of forgiveness, we didn't press charges.
text: 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.
ref: 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:
text: A perfect judge will read each work of wit / With the same spirit that its author writ.
ref: 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:
glosses: The manner or style of something.
examples: text: the spirit of an enterprise, or of a document
glosses: Intent; real meaning; opposed to the letter, or formal statement.
glosses: A volatile liquid, such as alcohol. The plural form spirits is a generic term for distilled alcoholic beverages.
examples: text: "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.
ref: 1655, Thomas Fuller, The Church-history of Britain; […], London: […] Iohn Williams […], →OCLC, (please specify |book=I to XI):
glosses: Energy; ardour.
examples: text: a ruling spirit; a schismatic spirit
text: Such spirits as he desired to please, such would I choose for my judges.
ref: 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:
glosses: One who is vivacious or lively; one who evinces great activity or peculiar characteristics of mind or temper.
examples: text: to be cheerful, or in good spirits; to be down-hearted, or in bad spirits
text: God has […] made a spirit of building succeed a spirit of pulling down.
ref: 1667, Robert South, Sermon VII:
glosses: Temper or disposition of mind; mental condition or disposition; intellectual or moral state.
examples: text: For else he sure had left not one aliue,>br>But all in his reuenge of spirite would depriue.
ref: 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book V, Canto VII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 36:
text: But the milde air with season moderate / Gently attempred, and disposd so well, / That still it breathed forth sweet spirit & holesome smell.
ref: 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto XII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 51:
glosses: Air set in motion by breathing; breath; hence, sometimes, life itself.
examples: text: Be it a letter or spirit, we have great use of it.
ref: 1640, Ben Jonson, The English Grammar:
glosses: A rough breathing; an aspirate, such as the letter h; also, a mark denoting aspiration.
topics: alchemy
pseudoscience
glosses: Any of the four substances: sulphur, sal ammoniac, quicksilver, and arsenic (or, according to some, orpiment).
topics: business
dyeing
manufacturing
textiles
glosses: Stannic chloride.
Synonyms: word: spirit
word: liqueur
word: liquor
word: apparition
word: specter
word: vision
Hypernyms: word: alcoholic beverage
word: being
word: creature
word: entity
Hyponyms: word: absinth
word: absinthe
word: brandy
word: gin
word: rum
word: schnapps
word: scotch
word: tequila
word: vodka
word: whiskey
word: whisky
word: angel
word: banshee
word: brownie
word: bucca
word: daemon
word: daimon
word: demon
word: elf
word: fae
word: fairy
word: familiar
word: faun
word: genie
word: genius
word: genius familiae
word: genius hominis
word: genius loci
word: genius locorum
word: ghost
word: gnome
word: god
word: guardian angel
word: ifrit
word: imp
word: jinn
word: Lares
word: lemures
word: manitou
word: nymph
word: ouphe
word: penates
word: pigwidgeon
word: pixie
word: pixy
word: pooka
word: Puck
word: revenant
word: satyr
word: shade
word: shadow
word: sprite
word: will o' the wisp
word: wraith
Derived terms: word: Aloha Spirit
word: ancestor spirit
word: astral spirit
word: community spirit
word: Corinthian spirit
word: despirit
word: dispirit
word: driving spirit
word: dulcified spirit
word: Dunkirk spirit
word: fighting spirit
word: free spirit
word: good spirits
word: grain neutral spirit
word: grain spirit
word: grape neutral spirit
word: Great Spirit
word: high spirits
word: Holy Spirit
word: industrial methylated spirit
word: in good spirits
word: in spirit
word: in the spirit it was meant
word: kampong spirit
word: kampung spirit
word: kindred spirit
word: lift someone's spirits
word: low spirits
word: master spirit
word: methylated spirit
word: methylated spirits
word: mineral spirits
word: motor spirit
word: moving spirit
word: neutral grain spirit
word: neutral grape spirit
word: neutral spirit
word: nonspirit
word: out of spirits
word: party spirit
word: perispirit
word: petroleum spirit
word: poor in spirit
word: proof spirit
word: public spirit
word: pyroacetic spirit
word: pyroxylic spirit
word: raise someone's spirits
word: rectified spirit
word: respirit
word: rice-spirit
word: shad-spirit
word: spirit animal
word: spirit bear
word: spirit blue
word: spirit board
word: spirit cabinet
word: spirit communication
word: spirit doctor
word: spiritdom
word: spirit duck
word: spirit duplicator
word: spirited
word: spiriten
word: spiriter
word: spiritess
word: spirit-filled
word: spirit fingers
word: spiritful
word: spirit gum
word: spirithood
word: spirit house
word: spiritic
word: spiritish
word: spiritism
word: Spiritism
word: Spiritist
word: spiritist
word: spiritistic
word: spiritize
word: Spirit Lake
word: spirit lamp
word: spiritless
word: spirit level
word: spiritlike
word: spiritling
word: spiritly
word: spirit-man
word: spirit man
word: spiritman
word: spirit master
word: spirit molecule
word: spirit money
word: spiritmonger
word: spirit moose
word: spiritness
word: spirit of hartshorn
word: Spirit of Light
word: spirit of Mindererus
word: spirit of nitre
word: spirit of salt
word: spirit of the law
word: Spirit of the Lord
word: Spirit of Truth
word: spirit of turpentine
word: Spirit of Verity
word: spirit of vitriol
word: spirit of wine
word: spiritous
word: spirit path
word: spirit photography
word: spirit rapper
word: spirit rapping
word: spirit road
word: spirit-room
word: spiritship
word: spirits of hartshorn
word: spirits of salt
word: spirits of salts
word: spirits of wine
word: spiritsome
word: spirit-stand
word: spirit stove
word: spirit tablet
word: spirit trumpet
word: spiritual
word: spirituality
word: spiritually
word: spirit vinegar
word: spirit way
word: spiritweed
word: spirit week
word: spiritwise
word: spirit world
word: spirit writing
word: spirity
word: surgical spirit
word: sweet spirits of nitre
word: team spirit
word: that's the spirit
word: the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak
word: the spirit moves one
word: the spirit moves someone
word: time spirit
word: two spirit
word: two-spirit
word: unspirit
word: up spirits
word: white spirit
word: witchspirit
word: wood spirit
word: zombie spirit
Related terms: word: ghost
word: soul
word: :Category:en:Distilled beverages