neutral spirits

Save This Word!

noun (used with a singular or plural verb)

nonflavored alcohol of 95 percent, or 190 proof, obtained chiefly from grain or molasses or redistilled from brandy, rum, etc., used for blending with straight whiskies and in the making of gin, cordials, liqueurs, and the like.

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON "IS" VS. "ARE"

"Is" it time for a new quiz? "Are" you ready? Then prove your excellent skills on using "is" vs. "are."

Question 1 of 7

IS and ARE are both forms of which verb?

have

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of neutral spirits

First recorded in 1915–20

Words nearby neutral spirits

neutralization test, neutralize, neutralizing antibody, neutral monism, neutral mutation, neutral spirits, neutral stain, neutral zone, neutretto, neutrino, neutrino astronomy

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use neutral spirits in a sentence

First, though, he has to be shocked into recognizing the barren waste of his spiritual life – by spirits.
How Dickens and Scrooge Saved Christmas|Clive Irving|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
From cognac to bourbon, rye to añejo tequila, many of our beloved spirits spend years aging in wooden casks.
How Much Do Whisky Casks Really Affect Taste?||December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For decades, toy production and marketing was increasingly gender neutral.
Sexism Begins in the Toy Aisle|Nancy Kaffer|November 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The lucky recipient gets to choose from a selection of gifts ranging from cocktail kits to packages of wine and premium spirits.
The Daily Beast’s 2014 Holiday Gift Guide: For the Don Draper in Your Life|Allison McNearney|November 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The winter can be so drab—all greys, blacks, and neutral tones.
The Daily Beast’s 2014 Holiday Gift Guide: For the Carrie Bradshaw in Your Life|Allison McNearney|November 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A desultory conversation on politics, in which neither took the slightest interest, was a safe neutral ground.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
After breakfast I hurried off to the station, where I met the others, everybody being in the highest spirits.
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay
Foreign families of neutral nationality sought more tranquil asylum far beyond the suburbs or on ships lying in the harbour.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
Neutral passenger-steamers were allowed to take away refugees other than Spanish subjects.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
It was a stirring time, for Scotchmen encounter their Hogmanhay with ardent spirits.
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland|Joseph Tatlow

British Dictionary definitions for neutral spirits

neutral spirits

noun

(functioning as singular or plural) US ethanol of more than 190° proof

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012