Hypertext Webster Gateway: "spirits"

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Spirit \Spir"it\, n. [OF. espirit, esperit, F. esprit, L.
spiritus, from spirare to breathe, to blow. Cf. {Conspire},
{Expire}, {Esprit}, {Sprite}.]
1. Air set in motion by breathing; breath; hence, sometimes,
life itself. [Obs.] ``All of spirit would deprive.''
--Spenser.

The mild air, with season moderate, Gently
attempered, and disposed eo well, That still it
breathed foorth sweet spirit. --Spenser.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

11. Tenuous, volatile, airy, or vapory substance, possessed
of active qualities.

All bodies have spirits . . . within them. --Bacon.

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.

13. pl. Rum, whisky, brandy, gin, and other distilled liquors
having much alcohol, in distinction from wine and malt
liquors.

14. (Med.) A solution in alcohol of a volatile principle. Cf.
{Tincture}. --U. S. Disp.

15. (Alchemy) Any one of the four substances, sulphur, sal
ammoniac, quicksilver, or arsenic (or, according to some,
orpiment).

The four spirits and the bodies seven. --Chaucer.

16. (Dyeing) Stannic chloride. See under {Stannic}.

Note: Spirit is sometimes joined with other words, forming
compounds, generally of obvious signification; as,
spirit-moving, spirit-searching, spirit-stirring, etc.

{Astral spirits}, {Familiar spirits}, etc. See under
{Astral}, {Familiar}, etc.

{Animal spirits}.
(a) (Physiol.) 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}.
(b) Physical health and energy; frolicsomeness;
sportiveness.

{Ardent spirits}, strong alcoholic liquors, as brandy, rum,
whisky, etc., obtained by distillation.

{Holy Spirit}, or {The Spirit} (Theol.), 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}. (Chem.) See under {Proof}.

{Rectified spirit} (Chem.), spirit rendered purer or more
concentrated by redistillation, so as to increase the
percentage of absolute alcohol.

{Spirit butterfly} (Zo["o]l.), 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}. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) The buffle-headed duck.
(b) The golden-eye.

{Spirit lamp} (Art), a lamp in which alcohol or methylated
spirit is burned.

{Spirit level}. See under {Level}.

{Spirit of hartshorn}. (Old Chem.) See under {Hartshorn}.

{Spirit of Mindererus} (Med.), an aqueous solution of acetate
of ammonium; -- named after R. Minderer, physician of
Augsburg.

{Spirit of nitrous ether} (Med. Chem.), 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} (Chem.), hydrochloric acid; -- so called
because obtained from salt and sulphuric acid. [Obs.]

{Spirit of sense}, the utmost refinement of sensation. [Obs.]
--Shak.

{Spirits}, or {Spirit}, {of turpentine} (Chem.), rectified
oil of turpentine, a transparent, colorless, volatile, and
very inflammable liquid, distilled from the turpentine of
the various species of pine; camphine. See {Camphine}.

{Spirit of vitriol} (Chem.), sulphuric acid; -- so called
because formerly obtained by the distillation of green
vitriol. [Obs.]

{Spirit of vitriolic ether} (Chem.) ether; -- often but
incorrectly called {sulphuric ether}. See {Ether}. [Obs.]


{Spirits}, or {Spirit}, {of wine} (Chem.), 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.

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Dulcified \Dul"ci*fied\, a.
Sweetened; mollified.

{Dulcified spirit} or {spirits}, a compound of alcohol with
mineral acids; as, dulcified spirits of niter.

From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)

spirits
n : distilled rather than fermented [syn: {liquor}, {booze}, {hard
drink}, {hard liquor}, {John Barleycorn}, {strong drink}]


Additional Hypertext Webster Gateway Lookup

Enter word here:
Exact Approx


dict.stokkie.net
Gateway by dict@stokkie.net
stock only wrote the gateway and does not have any control over the contents; see the Webster Gateway FAQ, and also the Back-end/database links and credits.