DictionaryRoot: spiritus
Latin
spiritus
breath, spirit, or vigor
Forms
- spiritus
- spirit- — Used before other endings.
Origin
Formed from Latin spirare, “breathe or blow.”
Note
Breath as evidence of life helped connect the word with courage and the inner self.
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noun
spirit
A volatile distilled liquid.
Etymology
Breath suggested an invisible, volatile substance. Distillation applied spirit to the vapor-like essence obtained from a material and then to the distilled liquid.