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wood spirit

American  

noun

  1. methyl alcohol.

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


wood spirit British  

noun

  1. 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

Etymology

Origin of wood spirit

First recorded in 1835–45

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.

See Examples For:

“I’ve got a crystal ball, and I’ve got a wood spirit hanging in my office,” head coach Mike Zimmer said.

From Washington Times Jan. 1, 2018

She moved through the trees as quickly as a wood spirit.

From "The Whipping Boy" by Sid Fleischman

The former is obtained from wood, hence it is sometimes called wood spirit.

From Marvels of Scientific Invention An Interesting Account in Non-technical Language of the Invention of Guns, Torpedoes, Submarine Mines, Up-to-date Smelting, Freezing, Colour Photography, and many other recent Discoveries of Science by Thomas W. Corbin

The crude wood spirit is mixed with milk of lime, and after standing for several hours is distilled in a rectifying still.

From The Chemistry of Hat Manufacturing Lectures Delivered Before the Hat Manufacturers' Association by Albert Shonk

Methylated spirit consists of rectified spirit with 10 per cent. of wood spirit.

From Aids to Forensic Medicine and Toxicology by W. G. Aitchison (William George Aitchison ) Robertson

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