How Do You Spell PROOF SPIRIT?

1. Proof spirit is a term that refers to a specific concentration of alcohol used as a standard measure to determine the strength of other alcoholic beverages. It represents the amount of pure alcohol present in a liquid, typically expressed as a percentage by volume. The term originated from the practice of employing gunpowder as a means of determining alcohol content.

   To ascertain the "proof spirit" of a liquid, the traditional method involved soaking gunpowder in it and igniting it. If the gunpowder burned with a steady blue flame, it was deemed to be at "proof strength." This test was widely practiced until more accurate scientific methods were developed.

   In contemporary usage, the measurement of alcohol content is commonly expressed in terms of the percentage of pure alcohol compared to the total volume of the liquid. Thus, a spirit described as "100 proof" contains 50% pure alcohol. Consequently, a higher proof indicates a greater concentration of alcohol.

   The concept of "proof spirit" serves both as a criterion to help consumers gauge the strength of alcoholic beverages and as a regulatory tool for governing the production and sale of alcohol. The term varies in meaning across countries, as different jurisdictions have distinct legal definitions for labeling alcoholic products. Understanding the proof spirit of a beverage contributes to responsible drinking and accurate understanding of its potency.

2. • Dilute alcohol of a specific gravity of 0.920, containing 49.5 per cent, by weight (57.27 per cent. by volume) of absolute alcohol. Originally in England it was the weakest alcohol which would ignite gunpowder moistened with it.

   • Dilute alcohol containing about 50 per cent. absolute alcohol; see proofspirit.

   A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.

3. Spirit having pure alcohol in a certain fixed large proportion, generally 100 parts of alcohol to 103-09 water.

   Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.

Common Misspellings for PROOF SPIRIT

The term "proof spirit" has its roots in the distillation process of alcoholic beverages, specifically in the measurement of their alcohol content.

The word "proof" in this context comes from the old English term "proef", which means "test" or "evidence". In the past, alcohol content was tested by soaking gunpowder with the spirit and igniting it. If the gunpowder burned steadily, it was considered "proof" that the spirit contained a certain level of alcohol. This was an empirical way of verifying the strength or quality of the beverage.

The term "spirit" refers to the liquid form of alcohol itself. In early distillation processes, the vapor produced during distillation was believed to be the soul or "spirit" of the original material. Hence, the term "proof spirit" came to represent alcohol that had been proved to be of a certain strength or quality.

Similar spelling word for PROOF SPIRIT

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