spirit

n. [ OF. espirit, esperit, F. esprit, L. spiritus, from spirare to breathe, to blow. Cf. Conspire, Expire, Esprit, Sprite. ] 1. Air set in motion by breathing; breath; hence, sometimes, life itself. [ Obs. ] “All of spirit would deprive.” Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

The mild air, with season moderate,
Gently attempered, and disposed eo well,
That still it breathed foorth sweet spirit. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A rough breathing; an aspirate, as the letter h; also, a mark to denote aspiration; a breathing. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Be it a letter or spirit, we have great use for it. B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Life, or living substance, considered independently of corporeal existence; an intelligence conceived of apart from any physical organization or embodiment; vital essence, force, or energy, as distinct from matter. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. The intelligent, immaterial and immortal part of man; the soul, in distinction from the body in which it resides; the agent or subject of vital and spiritual functions, whether spiritual or material. [ 1913 Webster ]

There is a spirit in man; and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding. Job xxxii. 8. [ 1913 Webster ]

As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. James ii. 26. [ 1913 Webster ]

Spirit is a substance wherein thinking, knowing, doubting, and a power of moving, do subsist. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Specifically, a disembodied soul; the human soul after it has left the body. [ 1913 Webster ]

Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. Eccl. xii. 7. [ 1913 Webster ]

Ye gentle spirits far away,
With whom we shared the cup of grace. Keble. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. Any supernatural being, good or bad; an apparition; a specter; a ghost; also, sometimes, a sprite, ; a fairy; an elf. [ 1913 Webster ]

Whilst young, preserve his tender mind from all impressions of spirits and goblins in the dark. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. Energy, vivacity, ardor, enthusiasm, courage, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

“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. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. One who is vivacious or lively; one who evinces great activity or peculiar characteristics of mind or temper; as, a ruling spirit; a schismatic spirit. [ 1913 Webster ]

Such spirits as he desired to please, such would I choose for my judges. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

9. Temper or disposition of mind; mental condition or disposition; intellectual or moral state; -- often in the plural; as, to be cheerful, or in good spirits; to be downhearted, or in bad spirits. [ 1913 Webster ]

God has . . . made a spirit of building succeed a spirit of pulling down. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

A perfect judge will read each work of wit
With the same spirit that its author writ. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

10. Intent; real meaning; -- opposed to the letter, or to formal statement; also, characteristic quality, especially such as is derived from the individual genius or the personal character; as, the spirit of an enterprise, of a document, or the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

11. Tenuous, volatile, airy, or vapory substance, possessed of active qualities. [ 1913 Webster ]

All bodies have spirits . . . within them. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

12. Any liquid produced by distillation; especially, alcohol, the spirits, or spirit, of wine (it having been first distilled from wine): -- often in the plural. [ 1913 Webster ]

13. pl. Rum, whisky, brandy, gin, and other distilled liquors having much alcohol, in distinction from wine and malt liquors. [ 1913 Webster ]

14. (Med.) A solution in alcohol of a volatile principle. Cf. Tincture. U. S. Disp. [ 1913 Webster ]

15. (Alchemy) Any one of the four substances, sulphur, sal ammoniac, quicksilver, or arsenic (or, according to some, orpiment). [ 1913 Webster ]

The four spirits and the bodies seven. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

16. (Dyeing) Stannic chloride. See under Stannic. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Spirit is sometimes joined with other words, forming compounds, generally of obvious signification; as, spirit-moving, spirit-searching, spirit-stirring, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

Astral spirits,
Familiar spirits, etc. See under Astral, Familiar, etc. --
Animal spirits. (a) (Physiol.) The fluid which at one time was supposed to circulate through the nerves and was regarded as the agent of sensation and motion; -- called also the nervous fluid, or nervous principle. (b) Physical health and energy; frolicsomeness; sportiveness. --
Ardent spirits, strong alcoholic liquors, as brandy, rum, whisky, etc., obtained by distillation. --
Holy Spirit, or
The Spirit (Theol.), the Spirit of God, or the third person of the Trinity; the Holy Ghost. The spirit also signifies the human spirit as influenced or animated by the Divine Spirit. --
Proof spirit. (Chem.) See under Proof. --
Rectified spirit (Chem.), spirit rendered purer or more concentrated by redistillation, so as to increase the percentage of absolute alcohol. --
Spirit butterfly (Zool.), any one of numerous species of delicate butterflies of tropical America belonging to the genus Ithomia. The wings are gauzy and nearly destitute of scales. --
Spirit duck. (Zool.) (a) The buffle-headed duck. (b) The golden-eye. --
Spirit lamp (Art), a lamp in which alcohol or methylated spirit is burned. --
Spirit level. See under Level. --
Spirit of hartshorn. (Old Chem.) See under Hartshorn. --
Spirit of Mindererus (Med.), an aqueous solution of acetate of ammonium; -- named after R. Minderer, physician of Augsburg. --
Spirit of nitrous ether (Med. Chem.), a pale yellow liquid, of a sweetish taste and a pleasant ethereal odor. It is obtained by the distillation of alcohol with nitric and sulphuric acids, and consists essentially of ethyl nitrite with a little acetic aldehyde. It is used as a diaphoretic, diuretic, antispasmodic, etc. Called also sweet spirit of niter. --
Spirit of salt (Chem.), hydrochloric acid; -- so called because obtained from salt and sulphuric acid. [ Obs. ] --
Spirit of sense, the utmost refinement of sensation. [ Obs. ] Shak. --
Spirits of turpentine, or
Spirit of turpentine (Chem.), rectified oil of turpentine, a transparent, colorless, volatile, and very inflammable liquid, distilled from the turpentine of the various species of pine; camphine. It is commonly used to remove paint from surfaces, or to dissole oil-based paint. See Camphine. --
Spirit of vitriol (Chem.), sulphuric acid; -- so called because formerly obtained by the distillation of green vitriol. [ Obs. ] --
Spirit of vitriolic ether (Chem.) ethyl ether; -- often but incorrectly called sulphuric ether. See Ether. [ Obs. ] --
Spirits of wine, or
Spirit of wine (Chem.), alcohol; -- so called because formerly obtained by the distillation of wine. --
Spirit rapper, one who practices spirit rapping; a “medium” so called. --
Spirit rapping, an alleged form of communication with the spirits of the dead by raps. See Spiritualism, 3. --
Sweet spirit of niter. See Spirit of nitrous ether, above. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Life; ardor; energy; fire; courage; animatioon; cheerfulness; vivacity; enterprise. [ 1913 Webster ]