See Also: sprite(medicine)
sprite(dictionary)
sprite(dictionary)

sprite (iou)



sprite noun & verb. ME.
[Alt. with lengthened vowel of sprit contr. of SPIRIT noun. Cf. SPIRIT noun, SPRIGHT.]
A. noun.
Spirit, courage, cheer. arch. ME.
b. In pl. A person's spirits or emotional faculties. LME-L16.
A person's soul, a disembodied spirit, a ghost (arch.). Now usu., a goblin, a fairy, esp. a small freq. mischievous pixie or elf; transf. a small dainty person, esp. a child. ME.
Shakespeare Midsummer Night's Dream That shrewd and knavish sprite, called Robin Goodfellow.
Computing. A graphical figure which may be moved onscreen and otherwise manipulated as a single entity. L20.
B. verb. rare.
verb trans. Inspire (a person) with courage. Only in M16.
verb intrans. Act as a sprite or spirit. Chiefly as spriting verbal noun. M16-E17.
spriteful adjective = SPRIGHTFUL E-M17.
spritefully adverb = SPRIGHTFULLY: only in E17.
spritefulness noun = SPRIGHTFULNESS: only in M17.
spritehood noun (rare) the condition or state of being a sprite L19.