adj. & v.
—adj. neat in dress and appearance; trim, smart.
—v.tr. & intr. (also refl.; usu. foll. by up) make or become smart.
Derivatives:
sprucely adv. spruceness n.
Etymology: perh. f. SPRUCE(2) in obs. sense 'Prussian', in the collocation spruce (leather) jerkin
2.
n.
1 any coniferous tree of the genus Picea, with dense foliage growing in a distinctive conical shape.
2 the wood of this tree used as timber.
Phrases and idioms:
spruce beer a fermented beverage using spruce twigs and needles as flavouring.
Etymology: alt. of obs. Pruce Prussia: cf. PRUSSIAN
3.
v. Brit. sl.
1 tr. deceive.
2 intr. lie, practise deception.
3 intr. evade a duty, malinger.
Derivatives:
sprucer n.
Etymology: 20th c.: orig. unkn.
Useful english dictionary. 2012.