spruce-up

[ sproos-uhp ]
/ ˈsprusˌʌp /

noun

an act of cleaning up, refurbishing, renovating, or the like.

Origin of spruce-up

noun use of verb phrase spruce up

Words nearby spruce-up

spruce gall aphid, spruce grouse, spruce pine, spruce sawfly, spruce up, spruce-up, sprucy, sprue, spruik, spruit, sprung

Definition for spruce-up (2 of 2)

spruce 2
[ sproos ]
/ sprus /

adjective, spruc·er, spruc·est.

trim in dress or appearance; neat; smart; dapper.

verb (used with object), spruced, spruc·ing.

to make spruce or smart (often followed by up): Spruce up the children before the company comes.

verb (used without object), spruced, spruc·ing.

to make oneself spruce (usually followed by up).

Origin of spruce

2
1580–90; obsolete spruce jerkin orig., jerkin made of spruce leather, i.e., leather imported from Prussia (see spruce1), hence fine, smart, etc.

OTHER WORDS FROM spruce

spruce·ly, adverb spruce·ness, noun un·spruced, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for spruce-up (1 of 2)

spruce 1
/ (spruːs) /

noun

any coniferous tree of the N temperate genus Picea, cultivated for timber and for ornament: family Pinaceae. They grow in a pyramidal shape and have needle-like leaves and light-coloured wood See also Norway spruce, blue spruce, white spruce, black spruce
the wood of any of these trees

Word Origin for spruce

C17: short for Spruce fir, from C14 Spruce Prussia, changed from Pruce, via Old French from Latin Prussia

British Dictionary definitions for spruce-up (2 of 2)

spruce 2
/ (spruːs) /

adjective

neat, smart, and trim

Derived forms of spruce

sprucely, adverb spruceness, noun

Word Origin for spruce

C16: perhaps from Spruce leather a fashionable leather imported from Prussia; see spruce 1