Word: spirit Part of Speech: noun 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. Pronunciation: /ˈspɪɹɪt/, /ˈspiɹɪt/, /ˈspɪɾɪt/ 1. The soul of a person or other creature. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: […] 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. Example: […] a triumph of the spirit over the flesh. 2. A supernatural being, often but not exclusively without physical form; ghost, fairy, angel. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: A wandering spirit haunts the island. Example: He has seen spirits roam the house. 3. A feeling of passion. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: School spirit is at an all-time high. Example: 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. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: "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. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: In the spirit of forgiveness, we didn't press charges. Example: 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. 6. Intent; real meaning; opposed to the letter, or formal statement. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: 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. Labels: countable, plural-normally, uncountable Example: 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. Example: 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. 8. One who is vivacious or lively; one who evinces great activity or peculiar characteristics of mind or temper. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: a ruling spirit; a schismatic spirit Example: 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. Labels: countable, in-plural, often, uncountable Example: to be cheerful, or in good spirits; to be down-hearted, or in bad spirits Example: God has […] made a spirit of building succeed a spirit of pulling down. 10. Air set in motion by breathing; breath; hence, sometimes, life itself. Labels: countable, obsolete, uncountable Example: For else he sure had left not one aliue,>br>But all in his reuenge of spirite would depriue. Example: But the milde air with season moderate / Gently attempred, and disposd so well, / That still it breathed forth sweet spirit & holesome smell. 11. A rough breathing; an aspirate, such as the letter h; also, a mark denoting aspiration. Labels: countable, obsolete, uncountable Example: Be it a letter or spirit, we have great use of it. 12. Any of the four substances: sulphur, sal ammoniac, quicksilver, and arsenic (or, according to some, orpiment). Labels: countable, obsolete, uncountable 13. Stannic chloride. Labels: countable, uncountable 14. The essence behind historical development of both individual and society evolving towards the Absolute. Labels: countable, uncountable