Spirit \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

Spirit \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. The vital principle or animating force within living things
17. A fundamental emotional and activating principle determining one's character