spirit

I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French or Latin; Anglo-French, espirit, spirit, from Latin spiritus, literally, breath, from spirare to blow, breathe Date: 13th century 1. an animating or vital principle held to give life to physical organisms 2. a supernatural being or essence: as a. capitalized Holy Spirit b. soul 2a c. an often malevolent being that is bodiless but can become visible; specifically ghost 2 d. a malevolent being that enters and possesses a human being 3. temper or disposition of mind or outlook especially when vigorous or animated <

in high spirits

> 4. the immaterial intelligent or sentient part of a person 5. a. the activating or essential principle influencing a person <

acted in a spirit of helpfulness

> b. an inclination, impulse, or tendency of a specified kind ; mood 6. a. a special attitude or frame of mind <

the money-making spirit was for a time driven back — J. A. Froude

> b. the feeling, quality, or disposition characterizing something <

undertaken in a spirit of fun

> 7. a lively or brisk quality in a person or a person's actions 8. a person having a character or disposition of a specified nature 9. a mental disposition characterized by firmness or assertiveness <

denied the charge with spirit

> 10. a. distillate 1: as (1) the liquid containing ethyl alcohol and water that is distilled from an alcoholic liquid or mash — often used in plural (2) any of various volatile liquids obtained by distillation or cracking (as of petroleum, shale, or wood) — often used in plural b. a usually volatile organic solvent (as an alcohol, ester, or hydrocarbon) 11. a. prevailing tone or tendency <

spirit of the age

> b. general intent or real meaning <

spirit of the law

> 12. an alcoholic solution of a volatile substance <

spirit of camphor

> 13. enthusiastic loyalty <

school spirit

> 14. capitalized, Christian Science god 1b Synonyms: see courage II. transitive verb Date: 1608 1. to infuse with spirit; especially animate <

hope and apprehension of feasibleness spirits all industry — John Goodman

> 2. to carry off usually secretly or mysteriously <

was hustled into a…motorcar and spirited off to the country — W. L. Shirer

>