He is so spruce that he can never be genteel.
Tatler.
Syn. -- Finical; neat; trim. See Finical.
-- Sruce"ly, adv. -- Spruce"ness, n.
Spruce, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Spruced (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Sprucing (?).]
To dress with affected neatness; to trim; to make spruce.
Spruce, v. i. To dress one's self with affected neatness; as, to spruce
up.
Sprue (?), n. [Etymol. uncertain.] 1. (Founding) (a) Strictly, the hole
through which melted metal is poured into the gate, and thence into the
mold. (b) The waste piece of metal cast in this hole; hence, dross.