Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1500-1600
Origin: [ From SPRUCE3

spruce

2 verb
     
spruce2

spruce up

phrasal verb
informal to make yourself or something look neater and tidier:
Paul went upstairs to spruce up before dinner.
spruce somebody/something ↔ up
The cottage had been spruced up a bit since her last visit.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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