01 n. Air set in motion by breathing; breath; hence, sometimes, life itself.
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1.
Air set in motion by breathing; breath; hence, sometimes, life itself.[Obs.]“The mild air, with season moderate, Gently attempered, and disposed eo well, That still it breathed foorth sweet spirit.” — Spenser.
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2.
A rough breathing; an aspirate, as the letter h; also, a mark to denote aspiration; a breathing.[Obs.]“Be it a letter or spirit, we have great use for it.” — B. Jonson.
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3.
Life, or living substance, considered independently of corporeal existence; an intelligence conceived of apart from any physical organization or embodiment; vital essence, force, or energy, as distinct from matter.
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4.
The intelligent, immaterial and immortal part of man; the soul, in distinction from the body in which it resides; the agent or subject of vital and spiritual functions, whether spiritual or material.“There is a spirit in man; and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.” — Job xxxii. 8.“As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” — James ii. 26.“Spirit is a substance wherein thinking, knowing, doubting, and a power of moving, do subsist.” — Locke.
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5.
Specifically, a disembodied soul; the human soul after it has left the body.“Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.” — Eccl. xii. 7.“Ye gentle spirits far away, With whom we shared the cup of grace.” — Keble.
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6.
Any supernatural being, good or bad; an apparition; a specter; a ghost; also, sometimes, a sprite,; a fairy; an elf.“Whilst young, preserve his tender mind from all impressions of spirits and goblins in the dark.” — Locke.
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7.
Energy, vivacity, ardor, enthusiasm, courage, etc.““Write it then, quickly,” replied Bede; and summoning all his spirits together, like the last blaze of a candle going out, he indited it, and expired.” — Fuller.
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8.
One who is vivacious or lively; one who evinces great activity or peculiar characteristics of mind or temper; as, a ruling spirit; a schismatic spirit.“Such spirits as he desired to please, such would I choose for my judges.” — Dryden.
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9.
Temper or disposition of mind; mental condition or disposition; intellectual or moral state; -- often in the plural; as, to be cheerful, or in good spirits; to be downhearted, or in bad spirits.“God has . . . made a spirit of building succeed a spirit of pulling down.” — South.“A perfect judge will read each work of wit With the same spirit that its author writ.” — Pope.
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10.
Intent; real meaning; -- opposed to the letter, or to formal statement; also, characteristic quality, especially such as is derived from the individual genius or the personal character; as, the spirit of an enterprise, of a document, or the like.
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11.
Tenuous, volatile, airy, or vapory substance, possessed of active qualities.“All bodies have spirits . . . within them.” — Bacon.
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12.
Any liquid produced by distillation; especially, alcohol, the spirits, or spirit, of wine (it having been first distilled from wine): -- often in the plural.
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13.
Rum, whisky, brandy, gin, and other distilled liquors having much alcohol, in distinction from wine and malt liquors.
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15.
Any one of the four substances, sulphur, sal ammoniac, quicksilver, or arsenic (or, according to some, orpiment).(Alchemy)“The four spirits and the bodies seven.” — Chaucer.
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Phrases & compounds
Animal spirits —
The fluid which at one time was supposed to circulate through the nerves and was regarded as the agent of sensation and motion; -- called also the nervous fluid, or nervous principle.
Ardent spirits —
strong alcoholic liquors, as brandy, rum, whisky, etc., obtained by distillation.
Holy Spirit —
the Spirit of God, or the third person of the Trinity; the Holy Ghost. The spirit also signifies the human spirit as influenced or animated by the Divine Spirit.
Proof spirit —
See under Proof.
Rectified spirit —
spirit rendered purer or more concentrated by redistillation, so as to increase the percentage of absolute alcohol.
Spirit butterfly —
any one of numerous species of delicate butterflies of tropical America belonging to the genus Ithomia. The wings are gauzy and nearly destitute of scales.
Spirit duck —
The buffle-headed duck
Spirit lamp —
a lamp in which alcohol or methylated spirit is burned.
Spirit level —
See under Level.
Spirit of hartshorn —
See under Hartshorn.
Spirit of Mindererus —
an aqueous solution of acetate of ammonium; -- named after R. Minderer, physician of Augsburg.
Spirit of nitrous ether —
a pale yellow liquid, of a sweetish taste and a pleasant ethereal odor. It is obtained by the distillation of alcohol with nitric and sulphuric acids, and consists essentially of ethyl nitrite with a little acetic aldehyde. It is used as a diaphoretic, diuretic, antispasmodic, etc. Called also sweet spirit of niter.
Spirit of salt —
hydrochloric acid; -- so called because obtained from salt and sulphuric acid.
Spirit of sense —
the utmost refinement of sensation.
Spirits of turpentine —
rectified oil of turpentine, a transparent, colorless, volatile, and very inflammable liquid, distilled from the turpentine of the various species of pine; camphine. It is commonly used to remove paint from surfaces, or to dissole oil-based paint. See Camphine.
Spirit of vitriol —
sulphuric acid; -- so called because formerly obtained by the distillation of green vitriol.
Spirit of vitriolic ether —
ethyl ether; -- often but incorrectly called sulphuric ether. See Ether.
Spirits of wine —
alcohol; -- so called because formerly obtained by the distillation of wine.
Spirit rapper —
one who practices spirit rapping; a “medium” so called.
Spirit rapping —
an alleged form of communication with the spirits of the dead by raps. See Spiritualism, 3.
Sweet spirit of niter —
See Spirit of nitrous ether, above.
Syn.
Life; ardor; energy; fire; courage; animatioon; cheerfulness; vivacity; enterprise.