Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - spirit

~1 n 1 »INNER PART« an inner part of someone that includes their thoughts and feelings, and is thought of as making them what they are  (His spirit was untameable. | strong in spirit | independent/proud/free etc spirit (=a person with a particular type of character))  (a toddler already showing an independent spirit) 2 »SOUL« the part of someone that is believed to continue to live after they have died  (Although Laurie is dead, I can feel his spirit with me.)  (- compare soul (1)) 3 »DEAD PERSON« a dead person who is believed to have returned to this world and has strange or magical powers; ghost1 (1)  (Some people believe that evil spirits can be removed by exorcism.) 4 »HAPPY/SAD« spirits the way someone feels at a particular time, for example if they are cheerful or sad  (be in good/low spirits (=be happy or sad) | be in high spirits (=be excited))  (We started our journey in high spirits. | keep sb's spirits up (=make sure someone does not become less cheerful) | raise/lift sb's spirits (=make someone feel happier and more hopeful))  (long, hot summer days that lift the spirits | sb's spirits lift/sink (=become more or less cheerful))  (My spirits sank when I saw the mess they'd left.) 5 in spirit you say you will be somewhere in spirit or with someone in spirit, when you cannot be with them but are thinking about them  (I can't come to your wedding but I'll be there in spirit.) 6 »DRINK« C usually plural a) especially BrE a strong alcoholic drink such as whisky or brandy b) BrE liquid such as alcohol, used for cleaning 7 get into the spirit/enter into the spirit BrE to start to feel as happy, excited etc as the people around you  (Judith couldn't really enter into the spirit of the occasion.) 8 »ATTITUDE« the attitude that you have towards something  (You've got to approach this meeting in the right spirit. | a true spirit of friendship) 9 »DETERMINATION« approving courage, energy, and determination  (Our team played with great spirit. | fighting spirit (=brave determination) | break sb's spirit (=make someone lose their courage and determination))  (slaves whose spirits had been broken) 10 that's the spirit spoken used to express approval of someone's behaviour or attitude 11 team/community/public etc spirit a strong feeling of belonging to a particular group and wanting to help them 12 the spirit of the age/times the set of ideas, beliefs, and aims that are typical of a particular period in history 13 when/as the spirit moves you when you feel that you want to do something ~2 v spirit sb/sth away/off to remove someone or something in a secret or mysterious way  (At the end of the press conference Jackson was spirited away through a back door.)