Definition of Familiar spirits. Meaning of Familiar spirits. Synonyms of Familiar spirits

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Definition of Familiar spirits

Familiar spirits
Spirit Spir"it, n. [OF. espirit, esperit, F. esprit, L. spiritus, from spirare to breathe, to blow. Cf. Conspire, Expire, Esprit, Sprite.] 1. Air set in motion by breathing; breath; hence, sometimes, life itself. [Obs.] ``All of spirit would deprive.' --Spenser. The mild air, with season moderate, Gently attempered, and disposed eo well, That still it breathed foorth sweet spirit. --Spenser. 2. A rough breathing; an aspirate, as the letter h; also, a mark to denote aspiration; a breathing. [Obs.] Be it a letter or spirit, we have great use for it. --B. Jonson. 3. Life, or living substance, considered independently of corporeal existence; an intelligence conceived of apart from any physical organization or embodiment; vital essence, force, or energy, as distinct from matter. 4. The intelligent, immaterial and immortal part of man; the soul, in distinction from the body in which it resides; the agent or subject of vital and spiritual functions, whether spiritual or material. There is a spirit in man; and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding. --Job xxxii. 8. As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. --James ii. 26. Spirit is a substance wherein thinking, knowing, doubting, and a power of moving, do subsist. --Locke. 5. Specifically, a disembodied soul; the human soul after it has left the body. Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. --Eccl. xii. 7. Ye gentle spirits far away, With whom we shared the cup of grace. --Keble. 6. Any supernatural being, good or bad; an apparition; a specter; a ghost; also, sometimes, a sprite,; a fairy; an elf. Whilst young, preserve his tender mind from all impressions of spirits and goblins in the dark. --Locke. 7. Energy, vivacity, ardor, enthusiasm, courage, etc. ``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. --Fuller. 8. One who is vivacious or lively; one who evinces great activity or peculiar characteristics of mind or temper; as, a ruling spirit; a schismatic spirit. Such spirits as he desired to please, such would I choose for my judges. --Dryden. 9. Temper or disposition of mind; mental condition or disposition; intellectual or moral state; -- often in the plural; as, to be cheerful, or in good spirits; to be downhearted, or in bad spirits. God has . . . made a spirit of building succeed a spirit of pulling down. --South. A perfect judge will read each work of wit With the same spirit that its author writ. --Pope. 10. Intent; real meaning; -- opposed to the letter, or to formal statement; also, characteristic quality, especially such as is derived from the individual genius or the personal character; as, the spirit of an enterprise, of a document, or the like. 11. Tenuous, volatile, airy, or vapory substance, possessed of active qualities. All bodies have spirits . . . within them. --Bacon. 12. Any liquid produced by distillation; especially, alcohol, the spirits, or spirit, of wine (it having been first distilled from wine): -- often in the plural. 13. pl. Rum, whisky, brandy, gin, and other distilled liquors having much alcohol, in distinction from wine and malt liquors. 14. (Med.) A solution in alcohol of a volatile principle. Cf. Tincture. --U. S. Disp. 15. (Alchemy) Any one of the four substances, sulphur, sal ammoniac, quicksilver, or arsenic (or, according to some, orpiment). The four spirits and the bodies seven. --Chaucer. 16. (Dyeing) Stannic chloride. See under Stannic. Note: Spirit is sometimes joined with other words, forming compounds, generally of obvious signification; as, spirit-moving, spirit-searching, spirit-stirring, etc. Astral spirits, Familiar spirits, etc. See under Astral, Familiar, etc. Animal spirits. (a) (Physiol.) The fluid which at one time was supposed to circulate through the nerves and was regarded as the agent of sensation and motion; -- called also the nervous fluid, or nervous principle. (b) Physical health and energy; frolicsomeness; sportiveness. Ardent spirits, strong alcoholic liquors, as brandy, rum, whisky, etc., obtained by distillation. Holy Spirit, or The Spirit (Theol.), the Spirit of God, or the third person of the Trinity; the Holy Ghost. The spirit also signifies the human spirit as influenced or animated by the Divine Spirit. Proof spirit. (Chem.) See under Proof. Rectified spirit (Chem.), spirit rendered purer or more concentrated by redistillation, so as to increase the percentage of absolute alcohol. Spirit butterfly (Zo["o]l.), any one of numerous species of delicate butterflies of tropical America belonging to the genus Ithomia. The wings are gauzy and nearly destitute of scales. Spirit duck. (Zo["o]l.) (a) The buffle-headed duck. (b) The golden-eye. Spirit lamp (Art), a lamp in which alcohol or methylated spirit is burned. Spirit level. See under Level. Spirit of hartshorn. (Old Chem.) See under Hartshorn. Spirit of Mindererus (Med.), an aqueous solution of acetate of ammonium; -- named after R. Minderer, physician of Augsburg. Spirit of nitrous ether (Med. Chem.), a pale yellow liquid, of a sweetish taste and a pleasant ethereal odor. It is obtained by the distillation of alcohol with nitric and sulphuric acids, and consists essentially of ethyl nitrite with a little acetic aldehyde. It is used as a diaphoretic, diuretic, antispasmodic, etc. Called also sweet spirit of niter. Spirit of salt (Chem.), hydrochloric acid; -- so called because obtained from salt and sulphuric acid. [Obs.] Spirit of sense, the utmost refinement of sensation. [Obs.] --Shak. Spirits, or Spirit, of turpentine (Chem.), rectified oil of turpentine, a transparent, colorless, volatile, and very inflammable liquid, distilled from the turpentine of the various species of pine; camphine. See Camphine. Spirit of vitriol (Chem.), sulphuric acid; -- so called because formerly obtained by the distillation of green vitriol. [Obs.] Spirit of vitriolic ether (Chem.) ether; -- often but incorrectly called sulphuric ether. See Ether. [Obs.] Spirits, or Spirit, of wine (Chem.), alcohol; -- so called because formerly obtained by the distillation of wine. Spirit rapper, one who practices spirit rapping; a ``medium' so called. Spirit rapping, an alleged form of communication with the spirits of the dead by raps. See Spiritualism, 3. Sweet spirit of niter. See Spirit of nitrous ether, above.
Familiar spirit
Familiar Fa*mil`iar, a. [OE. familer, familier, F. familier, fr. L. familiaris, fr. familia family. See Family.] 1. Of or pertaining to a family; domestic. ``Familiar feuds.' --Byron. 2. Closely acquainted or intimate, as a friend or companion; well versed in, as any subject of study; as, familiar with the Scriptures. 3. Characterized by, or exhibiting, the manner of an intimate friend; not formal; unconstrained; easy; accessible. ``In loose, familiar strains.' --Addison. Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar. --Shak. 4. Well known; well understood; common; frequent; as, a familiar illustration. That war, or peace, or both at once, may be As things acquainted and familiar to us. --Shak. There is nothing more familiar than this. --Locke. 5. Improperly acquainted; wrongly intimate. --Camden. Familiar spirit, a demon or evil spirit supposed to attend at call. --1 Sam. xxviii. 3, 7-9.

Meaning of Familiar spirits from wikipedia

- folklore of the medieval and early modern periods, familiars (strictly familiar spirits, as "familiar" also meant just "close friend" or companion, and...
- Familiar Spirits is a memoir published in 2000 by American writer Alison Lurie. In it, she recounts a friendship with a poet James Merrill and his life...
- historical perspective he wanted. Miller originally called the play Those Familiar Spirits before renaming it as The Crucible. The word "crucible" is defined...
- Pyewacket was one of the supposed familiar spirits of an alleged witch accused by the claimed Witchfinder General Matthew Hopkins in March 1644 in the...
- Cunning Folk and Familiar Spirits: Shamanistic Visionary Traditions in Early Modern British Witchcraft and Magic is a study of the beliefs regarding witchcraft...
- and wiser. According to folklore, the kitsune-foxes (or perhaps the "fox spirits") can bewitch people, just like the tanuki. They have the ability to shapeshift...
- tradition" of a belief in familiar spirits. Such an idea was supported by Wilby, who compared the accounts of familiar spirits in Britain with anthropological...
- Olympian spirits (or Olympic spirits, Olympick spirits) refers to seven spirits mentioned in several Renaissance and post-Renaissance books of ritual magic/ceremonial...
- diviner, a sorcerer, one who casts spells, or one who consults ghosts or familiar spirits, or one who inquires of the dead. The forms of divination mentioned...
- a dog, a wolf, a bear, a deer or a rooster, accompanied by their familiar spirits, black cats, serpents and other black creatures. This was the origin...