From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Spruce \Spruce\ (spr[udd]s), n. [OE. Spruce or Pruse, Prussia,
Prussian. So named because it was first known as a native of
Prussia, or because its sprouts were used for making, spruce
beer. Cf. Spruce beer, below, {Spruce}, a.]
1. (Bot.) Any coniferous tree of the genus {Picea}, as the
Norway spruce ({Picea excelsa}), and the white and black
spruces of America ({Picea alba} and {Picea nigra}),
besides several others in the far Northwest. See {Picea}.
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2. The wood or timber of the spruce tree.
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3. Prussia leather; pruce. [Obs.]
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Spruce, a sort of leather corruptly so called for
Prussia leather. --E. Phillips.
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{Douglas spruce} (Bot.), a valuable timber tree ({Pseudotsuga
Douglasii}) of Northwestern America.
{Essence of spruce}, a thick, dark-colored, bitterish, and
acidulous liquid made by evaporating a decoction of the
young branches of spruce.
{Hemlock spruce} (Bot.), a graceful coniferous tree ({Tsuga
Canadensis}) of North America. Its timber is valuable, and
the bark is largely used in tanning leather.
{Spruce beer}. [G. sprossenbier; sprosse sprout, shoot (akin
to E. sprout, n.) + bier beer. The word was changed into
spruce beer because the beer came from Prussia (OE.
Spruce), or because it was made from the sprouts of the
spruce. See {Sprout}, n., {Beer}, and cf. {Spruce}, n.] A
kind of beer which is tinctured or flavored with spruce,
either by means of the extract or by decoction.
{Spruce grouse}. (Zool.) Same as {Spruce partridge}, below.
{Spruce leather}. See {Spruce}, n., 3.
{Spruce partridge} (Zool.), a handsome American grouse
({Dendragapus Canadensis}) found in Canada and the
Northern United States; -- called also {Canada grouse}.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Spruce \Spruce\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Spruced} (spr[udd]st); p.
pr. & vb. n. {Sprucing} (spr[udd]"s[i^]ng).]
To dress with affected neatness; to trim; to make spruce; --
often used with up; as, to spruce up the house for Company.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Spruce \Spruce\, v. i.
To dress one's self with affected neatness; as, to spruce up.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Spruce \Spruce\ (spr[udd]s), a. [Compar. {Sprucer}
(spr[udd]"s[~e]r); superl. {Sprucest} (spr[udd]"s[e^]st).]
[Perhaps fr. spruce a sort of leather from Prussia, which was
an article of finery. See {Spruce}, n.]
1. Neat, without elegance or dignity; smart; trim; --
formerly applied to things with a serious meaning; now
chiefly applied to persons. "Neat and spruce array."
--Remedy of Love.
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2. Sprightly; dashing. [Obs.] "Now, my spruce companions."
--Shak.
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He is so spruce that he can never be genteel.
--Tatler.
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Syn: Finical; neat; trim. See {Finical}.
[1913 Webster] -- {Spruce"ly}, adv. -- {Spruce"ness}, n.
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From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
spruce
adj 1: marked by up-to-dateness in dress and manners; "a dapper
young man"; "a jaunty red hat" [syn: {dapper}, {dashing},
{jaunty}, {natty}, {raffish}, {rakish}, {spiffy},
{snappy}, {spruce}]
n 1: light soft moderately strong wood of spruce trees; used
especially for timbers and millwork
2: any coniferous tree of the genus Picea
v 1: make neat, smart, or trim; "Spruce up your house for
Spring"; "titivate the child" [syn: {spruce up}, {spruce},
{titivate}, {tittivate}, {smarten up}, {slick up}, {spiff
up}]
2: dress and groom with particular care, as for a special
occasion; "He spruced up for the party" [syn: {spruce up},
{spruce}, {slick up}, {smarten up}]
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