Lemma 1spiritus

nounmasculine

breath, breathing, air, soul, life

Morphology6 analyses

nominative singularspirit + us · regular

vocative singularspirit + us · regular

genitive singularspirit + us · regular

nominative pluralspirit + us · regular

vocative pluralspirit + us · regular

accusative pluralspirit + us · regular

Lewis & Short

key · spiritusFull entry

spīrĭtus, ūs, m., dat. [spiro]

I.dat. SPIRITO; gen., and abl. plur. only eccl. and late Lat., e. g. spirituum, a breathing or gentle blowing of air, a breath, breeze (syn.: aura, flatus).

II.Lit.

A.In gen.; spiritus Austri Imbricitor, Enn. ap. (Ann. v. 423 Vahl.)

B.In partic.

1.The air: imber et ignis, spiritus et gravis terra, Enn. ap. Müll. (Ann. v. 511 Vahl.)

2.An exhalation, smell, odor.

3.Breathed air, a breath. — Absol.: (equus) saepe jubam quassit simul altam: Spiritus ex animā calida spumas agit albas, Enn. ap. (Ann. v. 507 Vahl.); quorum usque ad extremum spiritum est provecta prudentia. — With gen.

C.Transf.

1.In abstr., a breathing — Esp.: spiritum intercludere (includere), to stop the breath, suffocate, choke, etc.

2.The breath of a god, inspiration.

3.The breath of life, life; supra, I. B.

4.Poet.,= suspirium, a sigh.

5.In gram., a breathing or aspiration (asper and lenis), P.

6.The hiss of a snake.

III.Trop.

A.(Class.) A haughty spirit, haughtiness, pride, arrogance; also, spirit, high spirit, energy, courage (esp. freq. in the plur.; syn. animi).

(a).Sing. (in the best prose only in gen. and abl., which are wanting in plur.).

(b).Plur.; in re militari sumere.

B.(Mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose.) Spirit, soul, mind.

(a).Sing.: spiritum Phoebus mihi, Phoebus artem Carminis dedit, poetic spirit or inspiration; (4, 16), 40: avidus (i. e., the desiring, coveting soul).

(b).Plur.: Coriolanus hostiles jam tum spiritus gerens.

b.Transf. (like anima, and the Engl. soul), a beloved object.

2.Spiritus, personified, a spirit (late Lat.)