Spruce (?), n. [OE. Spruce or
Pruse, Prussia, Prussian. So named because it was first known
as a native of Prussia, or because its sprouts were used for making,
spruce beer. Cf. Spruce beer, below, Spruce,
a.] 1. (Bot.) Any
coniferous tree of the genus Picea, as the Norway spruce (P.
excelsa), and the white and black spruces of America (P.
alba and P. nigra), besides several others in the far
Northwest. See Picea.
2. The wood or timber of the spruce
tree.
3. Prussia leather; pruce. [Obs.]
Spruce, a sort of leather corruptly so called
for Prussia leather.
E. Phillips.
Douglas spruce (Bot.), a valuable
timber tree (Pseudotsuga Douglasii) of Northwestern
America. -- Essence of spruce, a thick,
dark-colored, bitterish, and acidulous liquid made by evaporating a
decoction of the young branches of spruce. -- Hemlock
spruce (Bot.), a graceful coniferous tree
(Tsuga Canadensis) of North America. Its timber is valuable,
and the bark is largely used in tanning leather. --
Spruce beer. [G. sprossenbier; sprosse
sprout, shoot (akin to E. sprout, n.) + bier beer. The
word was changed into spruce because the beer came from Prussia
(OE. Spruce), or because it was made from the sprouts of the
spruce. See Sprout, n., Beer, and cf.
Spruce, n.] A kind of beer which is
tinctured or flavored with spruce, either by means of the extract or
by decoction. -- Spruce grouse.
(Zoöl.) Same as Spruce partridge, below. -
- Spruce leather. See Spruce,
n., 3. -- Spruce partridge
(Zoöl.), a handsome American grouse (Dendragapus
Canadensis) found in Canada and the Northern United States; --
called also Canada grouse.
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.
Spruce, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Spruced (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Sprucing (?).] To dress with affected neatness; to trim;
to make spruce.
Spruce, v. i. To dress one's self
with affected neatness; as, to spruce up.
Spruce (?), n. [OE. Spruce or
Pruse, Prussia, Prussian. So named because it was first known
as a native of Prussia, or because its sprouts were used for making,
spruce beer. Cf. Spruce beer, below, Spruce,
a.] 1. (Bot.) Any
coniferous tree of the genus Picea, as the Norway spruce (P.
excelsa), and the white and black spruces of America (P.
alba and P. nigra), besides several others in the far
Northwest. See Picea.
2. The wood or timber of the spruce
tree.
3. Prussia leather; pruce. [Obs.]
Spruce, a sort of leather corruptly so called
for Prussia leather.
E. Phillips.
Douglas spruce (Bot.), a valuable
timber tree (Pseudotsuga Douglasii) of Northwestern
America. -- Essence of spruce, a thick,
dark-colored, bitterish, and acidulous liquid made by evaporating a
decoction of the young branches of spruce. -- Hemlock
spruce (Bot.), a graceful coniferous tree
(Tsuga Canadensis) of North America. Its timber is valuable,
and the bark is largely used in tanning leather. --
Spruce beer. [G. sprossenbier; sprosse
sprout, shoot (akin to E. sprout, n.) + bier beer. The
word was changed into spruce because the beer came from Prussia
(OE. Spruce), or because it was made from the sprouts of the
spruce. See Sprout, n., Beer, and cf.
Spruce, n.] A kind of beer which is
tinctured or flavored with spruce, either by means of the extract or
by decoction. -- Spruce grouse.
(Zoöl.) Same as Spruce partridge, below. -
- Spruce leather. See Spruce,
n., 3. -- Spruce partridge
(Zoöl.), a handsome American grouse (Dendragapus
Canadensis) found in Canada and the Northern United States; --
called also Canada grouse.
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.
Spruce, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Spruced (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Sprucing (?).] To dress with affected neatness; to trim;
to make spruce.
Spruce, v. i. To dress one's self
with affected neatness; as, to spruce up.
