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sprit

American

[sprit] / sprɪt /

noun

Nautical.

a small pole or spar crossing a fore-and-aft sail diagonally from the mast to the upper aftermost corner, serving to extend the sail.

sprit British

/ sprɪt /

noun

nautical a light spar pivoted at the mast and crossing a fore-and-aft quadrilateral sail diagonally to the peak

"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

Etymology

Origin of sprit

before 900; Middle English spret, Old English sprēot; cognate with Dutch, German Spriet; akin to sprout

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“Poetry feeds our sprit when we’re hungry for something more,” she added.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 13, 2023

The PM said it has given tens of thousands of documents the official Covid inquiry "in a sprit of candour and transparency".

From BBC • May 30, 2023

In terms of Pauline’s sprit: It’s about this openness and trust.

From New York Times • Jan. 19, 2023

“They reflect the sprit of the Croatian people. They’ve been through so much. We give them faith in a better tomorrow.”

From Washington Post • Dec. 5, 2022

“I may not like the little sprit very much, but I’m not cruel enough to buy him a lute with a sour neck.”

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023