Spruce, a sort of leather corruptly so called for Prussia leather.
E. Phillips.
Douglas spruce (Bot.), a valuable timber tree (Pseudotsuga Douglasii)
of Northwestern America. -- Essence of spruce, a thick, dark-colored,
bitterish, and acidulous liquid made by evaporating a decoction of the
young branches of spruce. -- Hemlock spruce (Bot.), a graceful
coniferous tree (Tsuga Canadensis) of North America. Its timber is
valuable, and the bark is largely used in tanning leather. -- Spruce
beer. [G. sprossenbier; sprosse sprout, shoot (akin to E. sprout, n.) +
bier beer. The word was changed into spruce because the beer came from
Prussia (OE. Spruce), or because it was made from the sprouts of the
spruce. See Sprout, n., Beer, and cf. Spruce, n.] A kind of beer which
is tinctured or flavored with spruce, either by means of the extract or
by decoction. -- Spruce grouse. (Zoöl.) Same as Spruce partridge,
below. - - Spruce leather. See Spruce, n., 3. -- Spruce partridge
(Zoöl.), a handsome American grouse (Dendragapus Canadensis) found in
Canada and the Northern United States; -- called also Canada grouse.
Spruce (?), a. [Compar. Sprucer (?); superl. Sprucest] [Perhaps fr.
spruce a sort of leather from Prussia, which was an article of finery.
See Spruce, n.] 1. Neat, without elegance or dignity; -- formerly
applied to things with a serious meaning; now chiefly applied to
persons. "Neat and spruce array." Remedy of Love.