n. & v.
n. 1 a the vital animating essence of a person or animal (was sadly broken in spirit). b the intelligent non-physical part of a person; the soul. 2 a a rational or intelligent being without a material body. b a supernatural being such as a ghost, fairy, etc. (haunted by spirits). 3 a prevailing mental or moral condition or attitude; a mood; a tendency (public spirit; took it in the wrong spirit). 4 a (usu. in pl.) strong distilled liquor, e.g. brandy, whisky, gin, rum. b a distilled volatile liquid (wood spirit). c purified alcohol (methylated spirit). d a solution of a volatile principle in alcohol; a tincture (spirit of ammonia). 5 a a person's mental or moral nature or qualities, usu. specified (has an unbending spirit). b a person viewed as possessing these (is an ardent spirit). c (in full high spirit) courage, energy, vivacity, dash (played with spirit; infused him with spirit). 6 the real meaning as opposed to lip service or verbal expression (the spirit of the law). 7 archaic an immaterial principle thought to govern vital phenomena (animal spirits).
v.tr. (spirited, spiriting) (usu. foll. by away, off, etc.) convey rapidly and secretly by or as if by spirits. in (or in the) spirit inwardly (shall be with you in spirit). spirit duplicator a duplicator using an alcoholic solution to reproduce copies from a master sheet. spirit gum a quick-drying solution of gum used esp. for attaching false hair. spirit-lamp a lamp burning methylated or other volatile spirits instead of oil. spirit-level a bent glass tube nearly filled with alcohol used to test horizontality by the position of an air-bubble. the spirit moves a person he or she feels inclined (to do something) (orig. in Quaker use). spirit (or spirits) of wine archaic purified alcohol. spirits of salt archaic hydrochloric acid. spirit up animate or cheer (a person).
[ ME f. AF (e)spirit, OF esp(e)rit, f. L spiritus breath, spirit f. spirare breathe ]