3 VERB If an amount or level spirals , it rises quickly and at an increasing rate. □ [V ] Production costs began to spiral. □ [V -ing] …a spiralling trend of violence. □ [V adv/prep] The unemployment rate is spiralling upwards. ● N‑SING Spiral is also a noun. □ …an inflationary spiral. □ …a spiral of debt.
4 VERB If an amount or level spirals downwards, it falls quickly and at an increasing rate. □ [V adv/prep] House prices will continue to spiral downwards.
spire /spa I ə r / (spires ) N‑COUNT The spire of a building such as a church is the tall pointed structure on the top.
spir|it ◆◆◇ /sp I r I t/ (spirits , spiriting , spirited )
1 N‑SING Your spirit is the part of you that is not physical and that consists of your character and feelings. □ The human spirit is virtually indestructible.
2 → see also kindred spirit
3 N‑COUNT [usu poss N ] A person's spirit is the non-physical part of them that is believed to remain alive after their death. □ His spirit has left him and all that remains is the shell of his body.
4 N‑COUNT A spirit is a ghost or supernatural being. □ …protection against evil spirits.
5 → see also Holy Spirit
6 N‑UNCOUNT Spirit is the courage and determination that helps people to survive in difficult times and to keep their way of life and their beliefs. □ She was a very brave girl and everyone who knew her admired her spirit.
7 N‑UNCOUNT Spirit is the liveliness and energy that someone shows in what they do. □ They played with spirit.
8 N‑SING The spirit in which you do something is the attitude you have when you are doing it. □ [+ of ] Their problem can only be solved in a spirit of compromise.
9 N‑UNCOUNT [oft n N ] A particular kind of spirit is the feeling of loyalty to a group that is shared by the people who belong to the group. □ There is a great sense of team spirit among the British squad.
10 N‑SING A particular kind of spirit is the set of ideas, beliefs, and aims that are held by a group of people. □ …the real spirit of the Labour movement.
11 N‑SING The spirit of something such as a law or an agreement is the way that it was intended to be interpreted or applied. □ [+ of ] The requirement for work permits violates the spirit of the 1950 treaty.
12 N‑COUNT [usu adj N ] You can refer to a person as a particular kind of spirit if they show a certain characteristic or if they show a lot of enthusiasm in what they are doing. □ I like to think of myself as a free spirit.
13 N‑PLURAL Your spirits are your feelings at a particular time, especially feelings of happiness or unhappiness. □ At supper, everyone was in high spirits.
14 VERB If someone or something is spirited away , or if they are spirited out of somewhere, they are taken from a place quickly and secretly without anyone noticing. [WRITTEN ] □ [be V -ed + away ] He was spirited away and probably murdered. □ [V n + away ] His parents had spirited him away to the country. □ [be V -ed prep/adv] It is possible that he has been spirited out of the country.
15 N‑PLURAL Spirits are strong alcoholic drinks such as whisky and gin.
16 N‑UNCOUNT Spirit or spirits is an alcoholic liquid that is used as a fuel, for cleaning things, or for other purposes. There are many kinds of spirit.
17 → see also methylated spirits , surgical spirit COLLOCATIONS spirit NOUN
8
adjective + spirit : adventurous, competitive, entrepreneurial
9
noun + spirit : community, team
verb + spirit : embody, enter into, foster
13
adjective + spirit : good, high, low
verb + spirit : dampen, lift, raise
spir|it|ed /sp I r I t I d/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A spirited action shows great energy and courage. □ This television program provoked a spirited debate in the United Kingdom.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A spirited person is very active, lively, and confident. □ He was by nature a spirited little boy.
-spirited /-sp I r I t I d/
1 COMB -spirited combines with adjectives to describe a person's character, attitude, or behaviour. For example, a mean-spirited person behaves in a way that is unkind to other people; a free-spirited person behaves freely and does as they please. □ That's a mean-spirited thing for a mother to say. □ Murray was an affable, free-spirited man.
2 → see also high-spirited , public-spirited
spir|it|less /sp I r I tləs/ ADJ If someone is spiritless , they lack energy, courage, and liveliness. □ They were too spiritless even to resist.
spi r|it lev|el (spirit levels ) also spirit-level N‑COUNT A spirit level is a device for testing to see if a surface is level. It consists of a plastic, wood, or metal frame containing a glass tube of liquid with an air bubble in it.
spir|itu|al ◆◇◇ /sp I r I tʃuəl/ (spirituals )
1 ADJ Spiritual means relating to people's thoughts and beliefs, rather than to their bodies and physical surroundings. □ She lived entirely by spiritual values, in a world of poetry and imagination. ● spir|itu|al|ly ADV □ Our whole programme is spiritually oriented but not religious. ● spir|itu|al|ity /sp I r I tʃuæ l I ti/ N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] …the peaceful spirituality of Japanese culture.