spruce

Everyday

1. A spruce is a tall evergreen tree with short needles and hanging cones; it often grows in cold places. tree →
2. Spruce is the light wood of this tree. tree →
3. (adjective) Spruce means neat, clean and smart in appearance. tree →
4. To spruce up something or someone is to make them look neater and smarter. tree →

In the lessons

In science lessons spruce is a conifer, a tree that keeps its needles in winter; spruces are often used as Christmas trees and for paper and guitars. In everyday life you spruce up a room or yourself before visitors. Phrases: a spruce tree, spruce forest, spruce up, looking spruce.

Examples

• A spruce keeps its needles all winter. tree →
• The forest was full of tall spruces. tree →
• We bought a spruce for our Christmas tree. tree →
• Let's spruce up the classroom before parents' evening. tree →
• Dad looked very spruce in his new suit. tree →
• The violin was made of spruce. tree →
• She spruced herself up for the party. tree →
• And ‘Quack, quack, quack.’ Drakestail is off again, singing and spruce as before. tree →

Note

The tree is countable (two spruces); the wood is uncountable. Spruce and pine and fir are all conifers: spruce needles are short and sharp and grow singly; pine needles grow in bunches. The adjective is a bit old-fashioned; «spruce up» is very common.