SPIRIT, an immaterial intelligent sub stance or being; vital or active princi ple, essence, force, or energy, as distinct from matter; life or living substance considered apart from material or cor poreal existence; as, the soul of man, as distinguished from the body wherein it dwells. Hence, a ghost; a specter; a supernatural apparition or manifesta tion; also, sometimes, an elf; a fay; a sprite. Also, real meaning; intent; in contradistinction to the letter or to formal statement; and characteristic quality, particularly such as is derived from the individual genius or the per sonal character; as, the spirit of the law.
In chemistry, a name generally ap plied to fluids, mostly of a lighter speci fic character than water, and obtained by distillation. Thus, the essential oil of turpentine is called spirit of turpentine. Essential oils dissolved in alcohol are called spirits, as spirit of aniseed, pep permint, etc., because formerly prepared
by distilling the herbs with alcohol. The volatile alkali ammonia, distilled and condensed in cold alcohol, is called spirit of ammonia; even hydrochloric acid is often called spirit of salts. But in a stricter sense the term spirit is under stood to mean alcohol in its potable con dition, of which there are very numer ous varieties deriving their special characters from the substances used in their production, as brandy, rum, whisky, gin, arrack, etc.
In theology, the Spirit, or Holy Spirit, the Holy Ghost; the Spirit of God, or the third person of the Trinity. The spirit also denotes the human spirit as animated by the Divine Spirit. Rectified spirit, proof spirit made pure by distillation.