'spire
See also: spire
English
editVerb
edit'spire (third-person singular simple present 'spires, present participle 'spiring, simple past and past participle 'spired)
- (informal, dialectal) Aphetic form of inspire.
- 1941, Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States from Interviews with Former Slaves[1], volume 16, Washington, DC: Library of Congress, →OCLC, page 248:
- One old fellow name John been a run-awayer for four years and de patterrollers tries all dey tricks, but dey can't cotch him. Dey wants him bad, 'cause it 'spire other slaves to run away if he stays a-loose.