SPIRITS

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does spirits mean? 

• SPIRITS (noun)
  The noun SPIRITS has 1 sense:

1. an alcoholic beverage that is distilled rather than fermented

  Familiarity information: SPIRITS used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SPIRITS (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

An alcoholic beverage that is distilled rather than fermented

Classified under:

Nouns denoting foods and drinks

Synonyms:

booze; hard drink; hard liquor; John Barleycorn; liquor; spirits; strong drink

Hypernyms ("spirits" is a kind of...):

alcohol; alcoholic beverage; alcoholic drink; inebriant; intoxicant (a liquor or brew containing alcohol as the active agent)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "spirits"):

aqua vitae; ardent spirits (strong distilled liquor or brandy)

akvavit; aquavit (Scandinavian liquor usually flavored with caraway seeds)

arak; arrack (any of various strong liquors distilled from the fermented sap of toddy palms or from fermented molasses)

bitters (alcoholic liquor flavored with bitter herbs and roots)

brandy (distilled from wine or fermented fruit juice)

gin (strong liquor flavored with juniper berries)

ouzo (a Greek liquor flavored with anise)

rum (liquor distilled from fermented molasses)

schnapps; schnaps (any of various strong liquors especially a Dutch spirit distilled from potatoes)

mescal (a colorless Mexican liquor distilled from fermented juices of certain desert plants of the genus Agavaceae (especially the century plant))

tequila (Mexican liquor made from fermented juices of an agave plant)

vodka (unaged colorless liquor originating in Russia)

whiskey; whisky (a liquor made from fermented mash of grain)

firewater (any strong spirits (such as strong whisky or rum))

lacing (a small amount of liquor added to a food or beverage)

Derivation:

spiritous; spirituous (containing or of the nature of alcohol)

 Context examples 

"Did not you think him sadly out of spirits?" repeated Lucy.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

Her brother so unhappy, and her loss in Isabella so great; and Eleanor's spirits always affected by Henry's absence!

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

I'm disappointed in you, and haven't spirits to see your father now.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

You may imagine how delightful it was to my feelings, Copperfield, to see the matter settled with it, and Mrs. Micawber recover her spirits.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

All was drawing alow and aloft; everyone was in the bravest spirits because we were now so near an end of the first part of our adventure.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

Arthur has just gone, and I feel in better spirits than when I left off, so I can go on telling you about the day.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

Her friend was not in better spirits than herself.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

And these dreams weigh on your spirits now, Jane, when I am close to you?

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

A change indeed had taken place in me; my health, which had hitherto declined, was now much restored; and my spirits, when unchecked by the memory of my unhappy promise, rose proportionably.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

At another time Emma might have been amused, but she was too much astonished now at Mr. Elton's spirits for other feelings.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)