different between spirit vs poltroonery

English

Etymology

From Middle English spirit, from Old French espirit (“spirit”), from Latin sp?ritus (“breath; spirit”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)peys- (“to blow, breathe”). Compare inspire, respire, transpire, all ultimately from Latin sp?r? (“I breathe, blow, respire”). Displaced native Middle English gast (“spirit”) (from Old English g?st (“spirit, ghost”)), whence modern English ghost. Doublet of sprite.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?sp???t/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?spi??t/, /?sp???t/
• Rhymes: -???t
• Hyphenation: spir?it

Noun

spirit (countable and uncountable, plural spirits)

1. The soul of a person or other creature. What moves through experience into self-definition as souls purpose.
3. A supernatural being, often but not exclusively without physical form; ghost, fairy, angel.

   A wandering spirit haunts the island.

   • 1693, John Locke, Some Thoughts Concerning Education

     Whilst young, preserve his tender mind from all impressions and notions of spirits and goblins […] in the dark.
4. Enthusiasm.

5. The manner or style of something.
6. (usually in the plural) A volatile liquid, such as alcohol. The plural form spirits is a generic term for distilled alcoholic beverages.
7. Energy; ardour.
   • 1655, Thomas Fuller, The Church History of Britain

     "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.

8. One who is vivacious or lively; one who evinces great activity or peculiar characteristics of mind or temper.

   a ruling spirit; a schismatic spirit

   • 1697, John Dryden, Aeneid

     Such spirits as he desired to please, such would I choose for my judges.

9. Temper or disposition of mind; mental condition or disposition; intellectual or moral state; often in the plural.

   to be cheerful, or in good spirits; to be down-hearted, or in bad spirits

   • 1667, Robert South, Sermon VII

     God has […] made a spirit of building succeed a spirit of pulling down.

10. (obsolete) Air set in motion by breathing; breath; hence, sometimes, life itself.
11. (obsolete) A rough breathing; an aspirate, such as the letter h; also, a mark denoting aspiration.
    • 1640, Ben Jonson, The English Grammar

      Be it a letter or spirit, we have great use of it.

12. Intent; real meaning; opposed to the letter, or formal statement.

    the spirit of an enterprise, or of a document

13. (alchemy, obsolete) Any of the four substances: sulphur, sal ammoniac, quicksilver, and arsenic (or, according to some, orpiment).

    • the foure spirites and the bodyes seven

14. (dyeing) Stannic chloride.

Derived terms

Pages starting with “spirit”.

Translations

See also

• ghost
• soul

Verb

spirit (third-person singular simple present spirits, present participle spiriting, simple past and past participle spirited)

1. To carry off, especially in haste, secrecy, or mystery.
   • 1835, Nathaniel Parker Willis, Pencillings by the Way:

     I felt as if I had been spirited into some castle of felicity.

2. Sometimes followed by up: to animate with vigour; to excite; to encourage; to inspirit.

Derived terms

• spirit away
• spirit off

Anagrams

• Tripis, pitris

Indonesian

Etymology

From Dutch spirit, from English spirit, from Middle English spirit, from Old French espirit (“spirit”), from Latin sp?ritus (“breath; spirit”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)peys- (“to blow, breathe”). Doublet of spiritus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [?spir?t??]
• Hyphenation: spi?rit

Noun

spirit (plural spirit-spirit, first-person possessive spiritku, second-person possessive spiritmu, third-person possessive spiritnya)

1. spirit:
   1. the soul of a person or other creature. What moves through experience into self-definition as souls purpose.

      Synonyms: arwah, atma, jiwa, hidup, kehidupan, nyawa, roh, sukma

   2. a supernatural being, often but not exclusively without physical form; ghost, fairy, angel.

      Synonyms: arwah, roh

   3. (figuratively) enthusiasm, energy; ardour.

      Synonyms: roh, semangat, spirit

Related terms

Further reading

• “spirit” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia (KBBI) Daring, Jakarta: Badan Pengembangan dan Pembinaan Bahasa, Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan Republik Indonesia, 2016.

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin spiritus. Compare also spiridu?.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?spirit/

Noun

spirit n (plural spirite)

1. spirit, ghost
2. essence, psyche
3. wit, genius
4. manner, style

Declension

Synonyms

• (spirit, ghost): duh

Related terms

• spiridu?

See also

• n?luc?, stafie, spectru, apari?ie, fantom?

Tok Pisin

Etymology

English spirit

Noun

spirit

1. spirit (physical form of God)

English

Etymology

poltroon +? -ery

Noun

poltroonery (countable and uncountable, plural poltrooneries)

1. Cowardice; lack of spirit; pusillanimity.
   • 1843, Thomas Carlyle, Past and Present, book 2, ch. IX, Abbot Samson

     Genius, Poet: do we know what these words mean? […] Nature’s own sacred voice heard once more athwart the dreary boundless element of hearsaying and canting, of twaddle and poltroonery, in which the bewildered Earth, nigh perishing, has lost its way.

   • 1952, C. S. Lewis, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Collins, 1998, Chapter 12,

     “Your Majesty, your Majesty,” he said, “are you going to tolerate this mutiny, this poltroonery? This is a panic, this is a rout.”

References

• poltroonery in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.