wood spirit

noun

methyl alcohol.
(especially in folklore) a supernatural, incorporeal being believed to inhabit the forest.

Origin of wood spirit

First recorded in 1835–45

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for wood spirit

Historical Examples of wood spirit

So he summoned up his courage and addressed the wood-spirit as he thought.
Fairy Tales from the German Forests
Margaret Arndt
"We thought he was a wood-spirit—a—a—I can't remember the name," said Cecil.
Five Minutes' Stories
Mrs. (Mary Louisa) Molesworth
Wood-spirit, petroleum and coal-tar distillates are condensed in plant of the latter type.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 5
Various
The Tengus of Japanese legend have many of the characteristic marks of the wood-spirit.
The Sacred Tree
J. H. Philpot

British Dictionary definitions for wood spirit

wood spirit

noun

chem another name for methanol

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