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spirit

[ spir-it ]
/ ˈspɪr ɪt /
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See synonyms for: spirit / spirited / spiriting / spirits on Thesaurus.com

noun
adjective
pertaining to something that works by burning alcoholic spirits: a spirit stove.
of or relating to spiritualist bodies or activities.
verb (used with object)
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Idioms about spirit

    out of spirits, in low spirits; depressed: We were feeling out of spirits after so many days of rain.

Origin of spirit

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English (noun), from Latin spīritus originally, “a breathing,” equivalent to spīri-, combining form representing spīrāre “to breathe” + -tus suffix of verb action

synonym study for spirit

5. See ghost.

OTHER WORDS FROM spirit

spir·it·like, adjectivenon·spir·it, nounoutspirit, verb (used with object)un·spir·it·ing, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH spirit

spirit , sprite
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use spirit in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for spirit (1 of 3)

spirit1
/ (ˈspɪrɪt) /

noun
verb (tr)
(usually foll by away or off) to carry off mysteriously or secretly
(often foll by up) to impart animation or determination to

Word Origin for spirit

C13: from Old French esperit, from Latin spīritus breath, spirit; related to spīrāre to breathe

British Dictionary definitions for spirit (2 of 3)

spirit2
/ (ˈspɪrɪt) /

noun
(often plural) any distilled alcoholic liquor such as brandy, rum, whisky, or gin
chem
  1. an aqueous solution of ethanol, esp one obtained by distillation
  2. the active principle or essence of a substance, extracted as a liquid, esp by distillation
pharmacol
  1. a solution of a volatile substance, esp a volatile oil, in alcohol
  2. (as modifier)a spirit burner
alchemy any of the four substances sulphur, mercury, sal ammoniac, or arsenic

Word Origin for spirit

C14: special use of spirit 1, name applied to alchemical substances (as in sense 4), hence extended to distilled liquids

British Dictionary definitions for spirit (3 of 3)

Spirit
/ (ˈspɪrɪt) /

noun the Spirit
  1. another name for the Holy Spirit
  2. God, esp when regarded as transcending material limitations
the influence of God or divine things upon the soul
Christian Science God or divine substance
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

Other Idioms and Phrases with spirit

spirit

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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