1. [n]  a fundamental emotional and activating principle determining one's character
2. [n]  an inclination or tendency of a certain kind; "he had a change of heart"
3. [n]  animation and energy in action or expression; "it was a heavy play and the actors tried in vain to give life to it"
4. [n]  the intended meaning of a communication
5. [n]  any incorporeal supernatural being that can become visible (or audible) to human beings
6. [n]  the vital principle or animating force within living things
7. [n]  the state of a person's emotions (especially with regard to pleasure or dejection); "his emotional state depended on her opinion"; "he was in good spirits"; "his spirit rose"
8. [n]  the general atmosphere of a place or situation and the effect that it has on people; "the feel of the city excited him"; "a clergyman improved the tone of the meeting"; "it had the smell of treason"
9. [v]  infuse with spirit; "The company spirited him up"

1. \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.
   Syn: Life; ardor; energy; fire; courage; animatioon;
        cheerfulness; vivacity; enterprise.
   

2. \Spir"it\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Spirited}; p. pr. & vb.
   n. {Spiriting}.]
   1. To animate with vigor; to excite; to encourage; to
      inspirit; as, civil dissensions often spirit the ambition
      of private men; -- sometimes followed by up.
            Many officers and private men spirit up and assist
            those obstinate people to continue in their
            rebellion.                            --Swift.
   2. To convey rapidly and secretly, or mysteriously, as if by
      the agency of a spirit; to kidnap; -- often with away, or
      off.
            The ministry had him spirited away, and carried
            abroad as a dangerous person.         --Arbuthnot &
                                                  Pope.
            I felt as if I had been spirited into some castle of
            antiquity.                            --Willis.
   {Spiriting away} (Law), causing to leave; the offense of
      inducing a witness to leave a jurisdiction so as to evade
      process requiring attendance at trial.
   

(Heb. ruah; Gr. pneuma), properly wind or breath. In 2 Thess. 2:8 it means "breath," and in Eccl. 8:8 the vital principle in man. It also denotes the rational, immortal soul by which man is distinguished (Acts 7:59; 1 Cor. 5:5; 6:20; 7:34), and the soul in its separate state (Heb. 12:23), and hence also an apparition (Job 4:15; Luke 24:37, 39), an angel (Heb. 1:14), and a demon (Luke 4:36; 10:20). This word is used also metaphorically as denoting a tendency (Zech. 12:10; Luke 13:11).

In Rom. 1:4, 1 Tim. 3:16, 2 Cor. 3:17, 1 Pet. 3:18, it designates the divine nature.