spruce
1[ sproos ]
/ sprus /
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noun
any evergreen, coniferous tree of the genus Picea, of the pine family, having short, angular, needle-shaped leaves attached singly around twigs and bearing hanging cones with persistent scales.
any of various allied trees, as the Douglas fir and the hemlock spruce.
the wood of any such tree.
adjective
made from the wood of a spruce tree or trees.
containing or abounding in spruce trees.
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Origin of spruce
11350–1400; Middle English, special use of Spruce, sandhi variant of Pruce<Old French Pruce<Medieval Latin PrussiaPrussia, whence the timber came
Definition for spruce (2 of 2)
spruce2
[ sproos ]
/ sprus /
adjective, spruc·er, spruc·est.
trim in dress or appearance; neat; smart; dapper.
verb (used with object), spruced, spruc·ing.
to make spruce or smart (often followed by up): Spruce up the children before the company comes.
verb (used without object), spruced, spruc·ing.
to make oneself spruce (usually followed by up).
Origin of spruce
21580–90; obsolete spruce jerkin originally, jerkin made of spruce leather, i.e., leather imported from Prussia (see spruce1), hence fine, smart, etc.
OTHER WORDS FROM spruce
sprucely, adverbspruceness, nounun·spruced, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for spruce
British Dictionary definitions for spruce (1 of 2)
spruce1
/ (spruːs) /
noun
any coniferous tree of the N temperate genus Picea, cultivated for timber and for ornament: family Pinaceae. They grow in a pyramidal shape and have needle-like leaves and light-coloured woodSee also Norway spruce, blue spruce, white spruce, black spruce
the wood of any of these trees
Word Origin for spruce
C17: short for Spruce fir, from C14 Spruce Prussia, changed from Pruce, via Old French from Latin Prussia
British Dictionary definitions for spruce (2 of 2)
spruce2
/ (spruːs) /
adjective
neat, smart, and trim
Derived forms of spruce
sprucely, adverbspruceness, nounWord Origin for spruce
C16: perhaps from Spruce leather a fashionable leather imported from Prussia; see spruce 1
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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