spirit

[…] St. Bede's at this period of its history was perhaps the poorest and most miserable parish in the East End of London. Close-packed, crushed by the buttressed height of the railway viaduct, rendered airless by huge walls of factories, it at once banished lively interest from a stranger's mind and left only a dull oppression of the spirit.

1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter VII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:

[…] a triumph of the spirit over the flesh.

I don't understand these people who call themselves spiritual advisors. Franklin Graham, the unfortunate son of Billy Graham, is George Bush's spiritual advisor. Bill Clinton had Jesse Jackson.
Here's the part I don't understand: How can someone else advise you on your spirit? Isn't spirit an intensely personal, internal thing? Doesn't it, by its very nature, elude definition, much less analysis? What kind of advice could some drone who has devoted his life to the self-deception of religion possibly give you about your spirit? It sounds like a hustle to me.

2004, George Carlin, “THAT'S THE SPIRIT”, in When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?, New York: Hyperion Books, →ISBN, →OCLC, →OL, page 20:

Turians believe that groups and areas have "spirits" that transcend the individual. For example, a military unit would be considered to have a literal spirit that embodies the honor and courage it has displayed. A city's spirit reflects the accomplishments and industry of its residents. An ancient tree's spirit reflects the beauty and tranquility of the area it grows within.
These spirits are neither good nor evil, nor are they appealed to for intercession. Turians do not believe spirits can affect the world, but spirits can inspire the living. Prayers and rituals allow an individual to converse with a spirit for guidance or inspiration. For example a turian who finds his loyalty tested may appeal to the spirit of his unit, hoping to reconnect with the pride and honor of the group. A turian who wishes to create a work of art may attempt to connect with the spirit of a beautiful location.

2008, BioWare, Mass Effect, Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Turians: Religion Codex entry:

A wandering spirit haunts the island.

Whilst young, preserve his tender mind from all impressions and notions of spirits and goblins[…] in the dark.

1693, John Locke, Some Thoughts Concerning Education:

An unusual custom is followed at Llangennith, when shotguns are fired at a wedding - to scare off evil spirits from the newlyweds.

1980, AA Book of British Villages, Drive Publications Ltd, page 258:

Walk slowly with a spirit by your side.

2009, Alexander Perls, “With a Spirit” (track 10), in 009 Sound System, performed by Alexander Perls:

A supernatural being, often but not exclusively without physical form; ghost, fairy, angel.

The result may not quite give the Wearsiders a sweet ending to what has been a sour week, following allegations of sexual assault and drug possession against defender Titus Bramble, but it does at least demonstrate that their spirit remains strong in the face of adversity.

2011 October 1, Phil Dawkes, “Sunderland 2-2 West Brom”, in BBC Sport:

School spirit is at an all-time high.

No matter how early I came down, I would find him on the veranda, smoking cigarettes, or[…]. And at last I began to realize in my harassed soul that all elusion was futile, and to take such holidays as I could get, when he was off with a girl, in a spirit of thankfulness.

1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter IV, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC, page 46:

In the spirit of forgiveness, we didn't press charges.

A perfect judge will read each work of wit / With the same spirit that its author writ.

1711 May, [Alexander Pope], An Essay on Criticism, London: […] W[illiam] Lewis […]; and sold by W[illiam] Taylor […], T[homas] Osborn[e] […], and J[ohn] Graves […], →OCLC:

the spirit of an enterprise, or of a document

Intent; real meaning; opposed to the letter, or formal statement.

(usually in the plural) A volatile liquid, such as alcohol. The plural form spirits is a generic term for distilled alcoholic beverages.

"Write it then, quickly," replied Bede; and summoning all his spirits together, like the last blaze of a candle going out, he indited it, and expired.

1655, Thomas Fuller, The Church-history of Britain; […], London: […] Iohn Williams […], →OCLC, (please specify |book=I to XI):

a ruling spirit; a schismatic spirit

Such spirits as he desired to please, such would I choose for my judges.

1697, Virgil, translated by John Dryden, The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:

One who is vivacious or lively; one who evinces great activity or peculiar characteristics of mind or temper.

to be cheerful, or in good spirits; to be down-hearted, or in bad spirits

God has […] made a spirit of building succeed a spirit of pulling down.

(often in the plural) Temper or disposition of mind; mental condition or disposition; intellectual or moral state.

For else he sure had left not one aliue,>br>But all in his reuenge of spirite would depriue.

1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book V, Canto VII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 36:

But the milde air with season moderate / Gently attempred, and disposd so well, / That still it breathed forth sweet spirit & holesome smell.

1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto XII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 51:

(obsolete) Air set in motion by breathing; breath; hence, sometimes, life itself.

Be it a letter or spirit, we have great use of it.

(obsolete) A rough breathing; an aspirate, such as the letter h; also, a mark denoting aspiration.

(alchemy, obsolete) Any of the four substances: sulphur, sal ammoniac, quicksilver, and arsenic (or, according to some, orpiment).

en-noun

spirit (countable and uncountable, plural spirits)

the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak

From Middle English spirit, from Old French espirit (“spirit”), from Latin spīritus (“breath; spirit”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)peys- (“to blow, breathe”). Compare inspire, respire, transpire, all ultimately from Latin spīrō (“I breathe, blow, respire”). In this sense, displaced native Middle English gast (from Old English gāst), whence modern English ghost. Doublet of spiritus, spirytus, sprite, spright, and esprit.


spirit

God does not make an appearance, but the Devil (Ms. Pinal) emphatically does: first in the guise of a schoolgirl who tries to lure Simon down with the sight of her shapely legs; then as a bearded but blatantly female Jesus carrying a lamb; and finally as a stylishly coiffed woman who succeeds in spiriting Simon off, by means of a jet, to a Manhattan discotheque — Buñuel’s persuasive idea of hell.

2009 February 8, Dave Kehr, “Buñuel at His Wildest, in Circulation Again”, in New York Times:

I felt as if I had been spirited into some castle of felicity.

1835, Nathaniel Parker Willis, Pencillings by the Way:

To carry off, especially in haste, secrecy, or mystery.

Civil dissensions often spirit the ambition of private men.

[H]e left behind many Officers and private Men, vvho novv ſpirit-up and aſſiſt thoſe obſtinate People to continue in their Rebellion.

1714 February, [Jonathan Swift], The Publick Spirit of the Whigs: Set forth in Their Generous Encouragement of the Author of the Crisis: […], London: […] [John Barber] for John Morphew, […], →OCLC, page 39:

Sometimes followed by up: to animate with vigour; to excite; to encourage; to inspirit.

en-verb

spirit (third-person singular simple present spirits, present participle spiriting, simple past and past participle spirited)

spirits (present singular third-person)
spiriting (participle present)
spirited (participle past)
spirited (past)
spir't (alternative)