Also 4 Sprws, Sprwys, 5 Sprewse, 6 Sprewce; 5–7 Sprusse, 5–6 Spruse, 6 Sprus, 7 Sc. Spruch. [Alteration of PRUCE, Prussia: cf. SPRUCIA.]
† 1. The country of Prussia. Also Spruce-land.
See also PRUCE 2 a, quot. 1377.
1378. Durh. Acc. Rolls (Surtees), 47. In xxiiij piscibus de sprws empt., ij s.
14[?]. Chaucer’s Dethe Blaunche, 1025 (MS. Bodl. 638). She wolde not … send men yn-to Walakye, To Sprewse & yn-to Tartarye.
1521. in Ellis, Orig. Lett., Ser. II. I. 292. The expedition of the Gentlemen of Spruce.
c. 1550. Bale, K. Johan (Camden), 9. In Sycell, in Naples, in Venys and Ytalye, In Pole, Spruse and Berne.
1639. Fuller, Holy War, V. iii. 233. They busied themselves in defending of Christendome,… as the Teutonick order defended Spruce-land against the Tartarian.
1656. G. Abbot, Descr. World, 69. On the east and north corner of Germany lyeth a country called Prussia, in English Pruthen or Spruce.
† b. attrib. in the sense of ‘brought or obtained from Prussia,’ as Spruce board, canvas, chest, coffer, etc. Obs.
In some instances implying ‘made of spruce fir.’
1497. Naval Acc. Hen. VII. (1896), 321. vj *spruce bordes.
1545. Rates of Customes, a v b. Canuas called *sprewce canuas the hundreth elles xx. s.
1640. in Entick, London (1766), II. 167. Linnens: Gutting and spruce canvas.
1656. Act Commw. c. 20 Rates (1658), 470. Packing Canvas, Guttings, and Spruce Canvas.
1461. Paston Lett., II. 37. On of the canvas baggis in the gret cofir, or in the *spruse chest.
1540. North Country Wills (Surtees), 174. The spruse chest which is in my litle chamber.
1445. Test. Ebor. (Surtees), II. 195. j cistam vocatam *sprusse coffre.
1522. Wills & Inv. N. C. (Surtees, 1860), 106. I bequeathe to my said Wyffe … a spruse coffer.
1489. Will of R. Parbrich (P.C.C., 1 Dogett), My *spruce Compter and Euidences in the same.
1523. in Visit. Southwell (Camden), 121. A *spruse countre & a cup boorde.
1614. Gentleman, Engl. Way to Wealth, 13. Tarre, mastes, and *Spruce-deales.
1626. Capt. Smith, Accid. Yng. Seamen, 10. Laying that Decke with spruce deale of 30 foot long.
1670. J. Smith, Eng. Improv. Reviv’d, 190. Neer the Water are severall small Hutches made of boards for the *Spruce Ducks to lay their Eggs in.
1524. in Rep. MSS. Ld. Middleton (1911), 372. Item paid for vj *spruce elles,… vj s.
1378. Durh. Acc. Rolls (Surtees), 47. In xl *sprwysfisc emp. vj s. viij d.
1493. Bury Wills (Camden), 82. I beqwethe to Anneys my doughter a litell *spruce forcer.
1550–1600. Customs Duties (B.M. Addit. MS. 25097), Iron. voc. Lewkes, or *spruse iron.
1649. Eng. Farrier, xiii. Make your shooe of spruse or Spanish Iron.
1597. N. Country Wills (Surtees), II. 175. My best gowne and a *spruce jerkyn.
1464. Mann. & Househ. Exp. (Roxb.), 195. My mastyr lent hym a payr breganderys wyth *sprewse leder.
1530. Palsgr., 274/2. Spruse lether, besane.
1593. Nashe, Four Lett. Conf., Wks. (Grosart), II. 221. A Broker, in a spruce leather ierkin with a great number of golde Rings on his fingers.
1656. G. Abbot, Descr. World, 70. The English do … bring from thence a kinde of leather, which was wont to be used in Jerkins, and called by the name of Spruce-Leather-Jerkins.
1706. Phillips (ed. Kersey), Spruce-Leather, a sort of Leather corruptly so call’d for Prussia Leather.
1553. in Daniel-Tyssen, Invent. Ch. Goods Surrey (1869), 106. For vj dossen of *spruse oker.
1687. J. Smith, Art Painting (ed. 2), 22. Yellow-Oaker is of two sorts, one called Plain-Oaker, and the other Spruce-Oaker.
1875. Bedford, Sailor’s Pocket Bk., x. (ed. 2), 367. Stained with burnt umber, and spruce ochre ground in oil.
1570. in Raine, Richmondshire Wills (Surtees), 228. For ij *sprowese skynes.
1656. Act Commw. c. 20 Rates (1658), 475. Spruce skins tawed.
1588. Shipping Lists Dundee (S.H.S.), 225. Ihone Jak hes of takill 14 *spruiss stains.
1597. Skene, De Verb. Sign., s.v. Serplath, Ilk Sprusse stane conteinis twentie aucht pound Trois weicht.
1497. Naval Acc. Hen. VII. (1896), 241. A maste of a *spruce tree … bought for the foremast of the seid ship. Ibid. An other Spruce tre mast.
1511. Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot., IV. 284. lxiiij pulleis of coppir, weyand vjclxxxxj pund of *Spruse wecht.
1656. Act Commw. c. 20 Rates (1658), 477. *Spruce or Muscovia-yarn.
1711. Lond. Gaz., No. 4898/2. Polonia-Wool, Hogs-Bristles, Spruce-Yarn.
1572. in Feuillerat, Revels Q. Eliz. (1908), 178. Wylliam Lyzarde for syze,… *spruce yolow,… Gowlde [etc.].
2. ellipt. † a. A Spruce coffer or chest. † b. Spruce leather. c. Spruce beer. † d. Spruce ochre.
a. 1481–90. Howard Househ. Bks. (Roxb.), 273. Item a sprusse conteining ij. coffres of my Lordes.
1507. Pilton Churchw. Acc. (Som. Rec. Soc.), 54. Item one spruc.
b. 1570. Levins, Manip., 182. Spruce, corium pumicatum.
1611. J. Davies (Heref.), Sco. Folly, Wks. (Grosart), II. 63/1. What present haue we here? A booke…. What stuffe containes it? Fustian, perfect spruce.
c. 1741. G. Berkeley, in C’tess Suffolk’s Lett. (1824), II. 182. I may hope to drink a bottle of spruce with you on Saturday night.
1793. Pearce, Hartford Bridge, II. i. Waiter. I’ll be as brisk, your honour, as bottled spruce in warm weather.
1826. J. F. Cooper, Mohicans, vi. ‘Come, friend,’ said Hawk-eye,… ‘try a little spruce.’
1837. Dickens, Pickw., xx. Printed cards, bearing reference to Devonshire cyder and Dantzic spruce.
1891. Daily News, 23 Sept., 3/5. Witness gave him some hot spruce and ginger brandy, which eased him.
d. 1761. J. White, Art’s Treasury, 75. Spanish brown, burnt Spruce, and umber.
† 3. collect. The Prussian people. Obs.
1640. Sir W. Mure, Counter-Buff, 101, Wks. (S.T.S.), II. 6. All vaste Teuton’s states, the Spruch, the Dan, Dispatch … some trustie man, Stercovius to pursue.
4. ellipt. = SPRUCE FIR.
Freq. with specific epithets, as black, red, white, hemlock, Canadian, Norway, Sitka spruce.
1670. Evelyn, Sylva (ed. 2), xxii. 103. For masts, &c., those [firs] of Prussia, which we call Spruce, and Norway … are the best.
1727. Petiveriana, III. 213. Spruce or Hemlock-tree.
1772. Phil. Trans., LXII. 390. In Winter they taste strongly of the pine spruce, upon which they feed.
1792. J. Belknap, Hist. New Hampsh., III. 110. The black spruce is used only for beer…. Of this spruce, is made the essence, which is as well known in Europe as in America.
1824. Scott, in Lockhart (1839), VII. 258. One set of insects is eating the larch, another the Spruce.
1846. J. Baxter, Libr. Pract. Agric. (ed. 4), II. 331. The larch, spruce, and pine, require less space than the oak, chestnut, elm, &c.
1874. Stewart & Brandis, Flora N. West India, 526. On the south side of the Alps the Spruce forms large forests in Friaul.
b. A species, or a single tree, of spruce fir.
1832. Planting (L.U.K.), 124/2. The white, black, and red spruces are of inferior value to the Norway.
1857. A. Gray, First Less. Bot. (1866), 25. The main stem of Pines and Spruces … is carried on in a direct line throughout the whole growth of the tree.
1904. ‘Q’ (Quiller-Couch), Fort Amity, xxvii. The fragrance of the young spruces.
c. The wood of the spruce fir.
1853. Sir H. Douglas, Milit. Bridges (ed. 3), 39. The balks are of white pine, or spruce;… the chesses also are of spruce or white pine.
1894. Outing, XXIV. 191/1. The white spruce is a tough, springy timber, similar to ash.
d. An oar made of this wood.
1892. Sporting Life, 26 March, 7/5. They were to use the new Ayling oars, and the ‘spruces’ went much better than on the preceding day.
5. attrib. (in sense 4), as spruce bark, -bough, -cone, forest, etc.; spruce grouse, partridge, the spotted Canada grouse.
Also U.S. in names of insects that attack spruce trees, as spruce-borer, bud worm, saw-fly.
1784. M. Cutler, in Life, etc. (1888), I. 101. Our ax-men … built us a very comfortable tent with *spruce bark.
1888. Meredith, Poems (1898), II. 145. Seeing … Our household’s twinkle of light Through *spruce-boughs.
1783. Latham, Gen. Synop. Birds, II. II. 736. In winter [they] feed on *spruce-cones and juniper-berries.
1874. Stewart & Brandis, Flora N. West India, 529. Silver Fir is found in some of the *Spruce forests of Saxony and Thuringia.
1874. Coues, Birds N. W., 394. Tetrao Canadensis,… Franklin’s *Spruce Grouse.
1868. Rep. U.S. Commissioner Agric. (1869), 176. Frames of canoes … covered with its bark, sewed with spruce or tamarack … roots, and the seams calked with *spruce gum.
1894. Outing, XXIII. 391/2. The seams are payed with melted spruce-gum, which effectually prevents leakage.
1774. Phil. Trans., LXIV. 377. The red-game, with a smaller sort which resemble them, called the *spruce-partridge.
1783. Latham, Gen. Synop. Birds, II. II. 736. These [Spotted Grouse] are met with at Hudson’s Bay, where they are called Wood or Spruce Partridges.
1872. Coues, N. Amer. Birds, 232. Tetrao falcipennis of Siberia, the representative of our spruce partridge.
1862. Chambers’s Encycl., IV. 334/1. The true *Spruce Rosin flows spontaneously from the bark.
1872. Raymond, Statist. Mines & Mining, 152. A mountain thickly covered with pine and *spruce timber.
1870. Morris, Earthly Par., II. III. 76. Midst rank grass a *spruce-tree stood.
1792. J. Belknap, Hist. New Hampsh., III. 265. In some of the new towns a liquor is made of *spruce twigs, boiled in maple sap.
1870. Morris, Earthly Par. (1870), I. I. 171. Then with their melancholy sound The odorous *spruce woods met around.
