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(), 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 s 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. スポンサード リンク
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