Spruceness

Spruceness
Spruce Spruce (spr[udd]s), a. [Compar. {Sprucer} (spr[udd]"s[~e]r); superl. {Sprucest} (spr[udd]"s[e^]st).] [Perhaps fr. spruce a sort of leather from Prussia, which was an article of finery. See {Spruce}, n.] 1. Neat, without elegance or dignity; smart; trim; -- formerly applied to things with a serious meaning; now chiefly applied to persons. ``Neat and spruce array.'' --Remedy of Love. [1913 Webster]

2. Sprightly; dashing. [Obs.] ``Now, my spruce companions.'' --Shak. [1913 Webster]

He is so spruce that he can never be genteel. --Tatler. [1913 Webster]

Syn: Finical; neat; trim. See {Finical}. [1913 Webster] -- {Spruce"ly}, adv. -- {Spruce"ness}, n. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • spruceness — noun see spruce II …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • spruceness — See sprucely. * * * …   Universalium

  • spruceness — noun The property of being spruce, of being neat and elegant …   Wiktionary

  • spruceness — spruce·ness || spruːsnɪs n. neatness; being clean and trim and smart …   English contemporary dictionary

  • spruceness — spruce·ness …   English syllables

  • spruceness — noun the state of being neat and smart and trim • Syn: ↑neatness • Derivationally related forms: ↑spruce • Hypernyms: ↑tidiness • Hyponyms: ↑trim, ↑trimness …   Useful english dictionary

  • neatness — noun 1. the state of being neat and smart and trim • Syn: ↑spruceness • Derivationally related forms: ↑spruce (for: ↑spruceness) • Hypernyms: ↑tidiness …   Useful english dictionary

  • Gemminess — Gem mi*ness, n. The state or quality of being gemmy; spruceness; smartness …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Jemminess — Jem mi*ness, n. Spruceness. [Slang, Eng.] Pegge (1814). [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Pickedness — Pick ed*ness, n. 1. The state of being sharpened; pointedness. [1913 Webster] 2. Fineness; spruceness; smartness. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] Too much pickedness is not manly. B. Jonson. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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