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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 (gcide)

Spruce \Spruce\ (spr[udd]s), 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 ({Picea excelsa}), and the white and black
spruces of America ({Picea alba} and {Picea nigra}),
besides several others in the far Northwest. See {Picea}.
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2. The wood or timber of the spruce tree.
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3. Prussia leather; pruce. [Obs.]
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Spruce, a sort of leather corruptly so called for
Prussia leather. --E. Phillips.
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{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 beer 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}. (Zool.) Same as {Spruce partridge}, below.


{Spruce leather}. See {Spruce}, n., 3.

{Spruce partridge} (Zool.), a handsome American grouse
({Dendragapus Canadensis}) found in Canada and the
Northern United States; -- called also {Canada grouse}.
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Spruce \Spruce\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Spruced} (spr[udd]st); p.
pr. & vb. n. {Sprucing} (spr[udd]"s[i^]ng).]
To dress with affected neatness; to trim; to make spruce; --
often used with up; as, to spruce up the house for Company.
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Spruce \Spruce\, v. i.
To dress one's self with affected neatness; as, to spruce up.
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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.
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2. Sprightly; dashing. [Obs.] "Now, my spruce companions."
--Shak.
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He is so spruce that he can never be genteel.
--Tatler.
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Syn: Finical; neat; trim. See {Finical}.
[1913 Webster] -- {Spruce"ly}, adv. -- {Spruce"ness}, n.
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