Hypertext Webster Gateway: "spruceness"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Spruce \Spruce\, a. [Compar. {Sprucer}; superl. {Sprucest}]
[Perhaps fr. spruce a sort of leather from Prussia, which was
an article of finery. See {Spruce}, n.]
1. Neat, without elegance or dignity; -- formerly applied to
things with a serious meaning; now chiefly applied to
persons. ``Neat and spruce array.'' --Remedy of Love.
2. Sprightly; dashing. [Obs.] ``Now, my spruce companions.''
--Shak.
He is so spruce that he can never be genteel.
--Tatler.
Syn: Finical; neat; trim. See {Finical}. -- {Sruce"ly}, adv.
-- {Spruce"ness}, n.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
spruceness
n : the state of being neat and smart and trim [syn: {neatness}]
Additional Hypertext Webster Gateway Lookup
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.