† spruceryn.
Obsolete. rare.
1. humorous. The notional department responsible for spruceness or neatness.Apparently an isolated use.
ΚΠ
1603 S. Harsnett Declar. Popish Impostures x. 50 Delicat..seemes by his English name to be yeoman of the Sprucery, to see the deuils motly visards, after they were soiled with Brimstone, and sweat, to be brusht vp, and kept sweet, neate, & cleane.
2. The character or quality of being spruce; spruceness.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > beauty > pleasing appearance > [noun] > neatness or trimness
dapperness1530
featishness1530
trimness1552
neatness1555
featness1576
pickedness1578
spruceness1594
comptness1611
deftness1612
smugness1632
jemminess1756
spick and span1758
smartness1768
sprucery1813
dapperism1830
nattiness1846
sleekness1866
spit and polish1895
spick-and-spanness1911
1813 Ld. Byron Jrnl. 5 Dec. in Lett. & Jrnls. (1830) I. 462 C * * looks well,—seemed pleased, and dressed to sprucery.
1844 Fraser's Mag. Sept. 351/2 There was a sprucery about almost every thing he did.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2019).
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n.1603- chicken-fried
- chicken-fried steak
- chicken-headed
- chicken-hearted
- chicken-heartedness
- chicken-livered
- chicken-minded
- chicken-pecked
- chicken-skin glove
- chicken-spirited
- chicken-toed
- chicken-turtle
- chickenable
- chickenand egg
- chickenandtheegg
- chickenbrained
- chickenbreasted
- chickenbroth
- chickeneater
- chickened
- chickened out
- chickener
- chickenest
- chickenfried
- chickenfried steak