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Spirit vs Inspiration - What's the difference?

spirit | inspiration |

As nouns the difference between spirit and inspiration

is that spirit is the undying essence of a human; the soul while inspiration is the drawing of air into the lungs, accomplished in mammals by elevation of the chest walls and flattening of the diaphragm, as part of the act of respiration.

As a verb spirit

is to carry off, especially in haste, secrecy, or mystery.

As a proper noun Spirit

is {{altname|Holy Spirit}}.

spirit

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • The undying essence of a human; the soul.
  • * , chapter=7
  • , title= The Mirror and the Lamp , passage=[…] St.?Bede's at this period of its history was perhaps the poorest and most miserable parish in the East End of London. Close-packed, crushed by the buttressed height of the railway viaduct, rendered airless by huge walls of factories, it at once banished lively interest from a stranger's mind and left only a dull oppression of the spirit .}}
  • * 1967 , MacCormack, Woman Times Seven
  • a triumph of the spirit over the flesh.
  • A supernatural being, often but not exclusively without physical form; ghost, fairy, angel.
  • A wandering spirit haunts the island.
  • * John Locke
  • Whilst young, preserve his tender mind from all impressions of spirits and goblins in the dark.
  • Enthusiasm.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2011, date=October 1, author=Phil Dawkes, work=BBC Sport
  • , title= Sunderland 2-2 West Brom , passage=The result may not quite give the Wearsiders a sweet ending to what has been a sour week, following allegations of sexual assault and drug possession against defender Titus Bramble, but it does at least demonstrate that their spirit remains strong in the face of adversity.}}
  • The manner or style of something.
  • *
  • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=4 , passage=No matter how early I came down, I would find him on the veranda, smoking cigarettes, or
  • * Alexander Pope
  • A perfect judge will read each work of wit / With the same spirit that its author writ.
  • (usually, in the plural) A volatile liquid, such as alcohol. The plural form spirits is a generic term for distilled alcoholic beverages.
  • Energy; ardour.
  • * Fuller
  • "Write it then, quickly," replied Bede; and summoning all his spirits together, like the last blaze of a candle going out, he indited it, and expired.
  • One who is vivacious or lively; one who evinces great activity or peculiar characteristics of mind or temper.
  • a ruling spirit'''; a schismatic '''spirit
  • * Dryden
  • Such spirits as he desired to please, such would I choose for my judges.
  • Temper or disposition of mind; mental condition or disposition; intellectual or moral state; often in the plural.
  • to be cheerful, or in good spirits'''; to be down-hearted, or in bad '''spirits
  • * South
  • God has made a spirit' of building succeed a ' spirit of pulling down.
  • (obsolete) Air set in motion by breathing; breath; hence, sometimes, life itself.
  • * Spenser
  • For, else he sure had left not one alive, / But all, in his Revenge, of Spirit would deprive.
  • * Spenser
  • The mild air, with season moderate, / Gently attempered, and disposed so well, / That still it breathed forth sweet spirit .
  • (obsolete) A rough breathing; an aspirate, such as the letter h ; also, a mark denoting aspiration.
  • * Ben Jonson
  • Be it a letter or spirit , we have great use for it.
  • Intent; real meaning; opposed to the letter, or formal statement.
  • the spirit of an enterprise, or of a document
  • (alchemy, obsolete) Any of the four substances: sulphur, sal ammoniac, quicksilver, and arsenic (or, according to some, orpiment).
  • * Chaucer
  • the four spirits and the bodies seven
  • (dyeing) stannic chloride
  • Derived terms

    (Derived terms) * community spirit * free spirit * Holy Spirit * in good spirits * in spirit (adverb) * in the spirit it was meant (idiom) * kindred spirit * methlyated spirit * moving spirit * party spirit * petroleum spirit * poor in spirit * proof spirit * pyroacetic spirit * rectified spirit * shad-spirit * spiritdom * spirited * spiriten * spirit-filled * spiritful * spirithood * spiritish * spiritless * spiritlike * spiritling * spiritly * spiritness * spiritous * spiritship * spiritsome * spiritual * spiritually * spirituality * spirit away (verb) * spirit gum * spirit lamp * spirit level * spirit off * spirit of hartshorn * spirit of salt * spirit of the law * spirit of turpentine * spirit of vitriol * spirit of wine * spirit rapper/spirit rapping * spirit stove * spirit world * spirit writing * surgical spirit * team spirit * that's the spirit * the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak * white spirit * wood spirit * zombie spirit (spirit)

    See also

    * ghost * soul

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To carry off, especially in haste, secrecy, or mystery.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2009, date=February 8, author=Dave Kehr, title=Buñuel at His Wildest, in Circulation Again, work=New York Times citation
  • , passage=God does not make an appearance, but the Devil (Ms. Pinal) emphatically does: first in the guise of a schoolgirl who tries to lure Simon down with the sight of her shapely legs; then as a bearded but blatantly female Jesus carrying a lamb; and finally as a stylishly coiffed woman who succeeds in spiriting Simon off, by means of a jet, to a Manhattan discotheque — Buñuel’s persuasive idea of hell.}}
  • * Willis
  • I felt as if I had been spirited into some castle of antiquity.
  • To animate with vigor; to excite; to encourage; to inspirit; sometimes followed by up .
  • Civil dissensions often spirit the ambition of private men.
  • * Jonathan Swift
  • Many officers and private men spirit up and assist those obstinate people to continue in their rebellion.

    Statistics

    * ----

    inspiration

    English

    Noun

  • (physiology, uncountable) The drawing of air into the lungs, accomplished in mammals by elevation of the chest walls and flattening of the diaphragm, as part of the act of respiration.
  • *
  • *
  • (countable) A breath, a single inhalation.
  • * 1826 , , An Elementary System of Physiology , p. 220:
  • Laughing is produced by an inspiration succeeded by a succession of short imperfect expirations.
  • *
  • *
  • A supernatural divine influence on the prophets, apostles, or sacred writers, by which they were qualified to communicate moral or religious truth with authority; a supernatural influence which qualifies men to receive and communicate divine truth; also, the truth communicated.
  • * 1688 , , The History of the Variations of the Protestant Churches Vol.2 (1829 translation), p. 355:
  • The question, therefore, at issue is, not whether those external means be sufficient without grace and divine inspiration', for none pretends that": but, in order to hinder men from feigning or imagining an '''inspiration''', whether it has not been God's economy, and his usual conduct to make his ' inspiration walk hand in hand with certain means of fact, which men can neither feign in the air without being convicted of falsehood, nor imagine without illusion.
  • The act of an elevating]] or [[stimulate, stimulating influence upon the intellect, emotions or creativity. In this sense, it is generally followed by the adposition to'' or ''for :
  • * She was waiting for inspiration to write a book.
  • * She was waiting for inspiration for writing a book.
  • * 1865 , , The Nation's Wail , p. 6:
  • We caught the inspiration of his joy; and imagination painted a glorious future near at hand for our land, quickly to develop itself under the guidance of his fostering wisdom, and fraternal counsels and care.
  • *
  • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=4 , passage=“Well,” I answered, at first with uncertainty, then with inspiration , “he would do splendidly to lead your cotillon, if you think of having one.” ¶ “So you do not dance, Mr. Crocker?” ¶ I was somewhat set back by her perspicuity.}}
  • * 1998 , David Allen Brown, Leonardo da Vinci: Origins of a Genius , p. 25:
  • All this suggests that Andrea may, like the authors of the devotional panel, the fresco, and the print – and like Leonardo, as we shall see – have found his inspiration in Pollaiuolo.
  • * 2002 , Sven Rasegård, Man and Science: A Web of Systems and Social Conventions , p. 2:
  • And now it is time for problem solving which, if successful, will create new ideas serving as an inspiration source for future research objects of the researcher in question as well as other researchers within the same field.
  • * 2013 , (Phil McNulty), " Liverpool 1-0 Man Utd", BBC Sport , 1 September 2013:
  • As for United, this was a performance lacking in inspiration , purpose and threat and once again underlined the urgency for transfer business to be done in the closing hours of the transfer window.
  • A person, object, or situation which quickens or stimulates an influence upon the intellect, emotions or creativity.
  • * 2008 April 5, , Presidential Radio Address:
  • The people of Ukraine and Georgia are an inspiration to the world and I was pleased that this week NATO declared that Ukraine and Georgia will become members of NATO.
  • A new idea, especially one which arises suddenly and is clever or creative.
  • * 1895 , , (The Time Machine) , ch. 1:
  • After an interval the Psychologist had an inspiration . "It must have gone into the past if it has gone anywhere," he said.
  • * 1916 , (Gertrude Franklin Horn Atherton), Mrs. Balfame , ch. 15:
  • Mrs. Balfame had an inspiration . "My God!" she exclaimed, springing to her feet, "the murderer . . . was hidden in the cellar or attic all night, all the next day! He may be here yet!"
  • * 2007 July 1, Sylviane Gold, " Scenery Chewer Plays It Straight, Methodically," New York Times (retrieved 3 Sept. 2013):
  • [H]e accompanied her to a rehearsal of a skit satirizing “Casablanca,” and the director had an inspiration : Wouldn’t it be a laugh to cast a 10-year-old as Rick?

    Synonyms

    * (physiology) (l) * (stimulation of creativity or intellect) (l), (l), (l)

    Antonyms

    * (physiology) (l)

    Derived terms

    * (l)

    References

    * ----