Spruch

/spruːs/ (of a person) tidy and clean in appearance: He looked spruce and handsome in a clean white shirt. Synonyms. dapper.

Etymology. From Middle English Spruce, an alteration of Pruce (“Prussia”), from Medieval Latin, from a Baltic language, probably Old Prussian; for more, see Prussia. Spruce, spruse (1412), and Sprws (1378) were terms for commodities brought to England by Hanseatic merchants (beer, wood, leather).

: neat or smart in appearance : trim. sprucely adverb.

A good piece of Spruce is loud when you knock on it and in doing so produces more body than you'd expect from something so light. If you drop it, it bonks instead of plinks. It amplifies whatever resonance you transfer into it which is EXACTLY THE POINT of an instrument top.

Spruce trees and shrubs are classified in the genus Picea, which includes 35 species. It's considered part of the Pinaceae family, along with pines, firs, cedars, hemlocks, larches, and a few other species. A spruce tree can be identified simply by examining its needles.

Spruce is useful as a building wood, commonly referred to by several different names including North American timber, SPF (spruce, pine, fir) and whitewood (the collective name for spruce wood).

Wood from Sitka spruce is sawn into timber for use in construction, pallets/packaging and fencing, and is also used in the production of paper and panel products.

Spruce trees range in height from about 50 to 150 feet (15 to 46 meters). Like many evergreens, spruces have a pyramid shape and short, fragrant needles. What makes spruces unique is that each needle grows out of the branch from a strong, woody peg.

Spruce and fir trees have their needles attached individually to the branches. To tell spruce and fir trees apart, it helps to know that spruce needles are sharply pointed, square and easy to roll between your fingers. Fir needles, on the other hand, are softer, flat and cannot be rolled between your fingers.

Spruce is light and soft, but nevertheless has good strength and elasticity properties for its relatively light weight. It is not very susceptible to shrinkage and when dried remains stable. Its low natural durability can be compensated for by applying a protective coat of paint.

Examples from Collins dictionaries. Trees such as spruce, pine and oak have been planted. Early settlers built frames of spruce, maple and pine. Chris was looking spruce in his stiff-collared black shirt and new short hair cut.

Spruces are often used in the sound boards of instruments from the lute, violin, oud, mandolin, guitar, and harpsichord families; as well as the piano. Spruce is particularly suited for this use because of its high stiffness-to-weight ratio.