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Spruce vs Sprucely - What's the difference?

spruce | sprucely |

As a noun spruce

is any of various large coniferous evergreen trees from the genus picea , found in northern temperate and boreal regions; originally and more fully spruce fir.

As an adjective spruce

is (comparable) smart, trim, and elegant in appearance; fastidious (said of a person).

As a verb spruce

is to arrange neatly; tidy up.

As an adverb sprucely is

in a spruce manner; neatly and elegantly.

spruce

English

Noun

(en-noun)
  • Any of various large coniferous evergreen trees from the genus Picea , found in northern temperate and boreal regions; originally and more fully spruce fir.
  • (uncountable) The wood of a spruce.
  • (used attributively) Made of the wood of the spruce.
  • That spruce table is beautiful!
  • (obsolete) Prussia leather; pruce.
  • * E. Phillips
  • Spruce , a sort of leather corruptly so called for Prussia leather.

    See also

    * (Spruce) * (Picea)

    Adjective

    (er)
  • (comparable) Smart, trim, and elegant in appearance; fastidious (said of a person).
  • * 1919 ,
  • He had great neatness of person, and he continued to wear his spruce black coat and his bowler hat, always a little too small for him, in a dapper, jaunty manner.
  • * 2012 , The Economist, 13th Oct 2012, Plessey returns: Chips with everything
  • The two clean rooms, where chips are made, are sprucer than a hospital theatre.

    Verb

    (spruc)
  • To arrange neatly; tidy up.
  • ) To make oneself spruce (neat and elegant in appearance).
  • To tease.
  • Derived terms

    * (l)

    References

    *

    Anagrams

    * (l)

    sprucely

    English

    Adverb

    (en adverb)
  • In a spruce manner; neatly and elegantly.
  • * 1839 , (Charles Dickens), Nicholas Nickleby
  • 'Ah ! Hawk,' said one very sprucely dressed personage in a Newmarket coat, a choice neckerchief, and all other accessories of the most unexceptionable kind.