Lexic.us

Definition of Spell

1. Noun. A psychological state induced by (or as if induced by) a magical incantation.

2. Verb. Orally recite the letters of or give the spelling of. "We had to spell out our names for the police officer"

3. Noun. A time for working (after which you will be relieved by someone else). "A spell of work"

4. Verb. Indicate or signify. "I'm afraid this spells trouble!"

5. Noun. A period of indeterminate length (usually short) marked by some action or condition. "A patch of bad weather"

6. Verb. Write or name the letters that comprise the conventionally accepted form of (a word or part of a word). "He spelled the word wrong in this letter"

7. Noun. A verbal formula believed to have magical force. "Inscribed around its base is a charm in Balinese"

8. Verb. Relieve (someone) from work by taking a turn. "She spelled her husband at the wheel"

9. Verb. Place under a spell.

10. Verb. Take turns working. "The workers spell every four hours"

Definition of Spell

1. n. A spelk, or splinter.

2. v. t. To supply the place of for a time; to take the turn of, at work; to relieve; as, to spell the helmsman.

3. n. The relief of one person by another in any piece of work or watching; also, a turn at work which is carried on by one person or gang relieving another; as, a spell at the pumps; a spell at the masthead.

4. n. A story; a tale.

5. v. t. To tell; to relate; to teach.

6. v. i. To form words with letters, esp. with the proper letters, either orally or in writing.

Definition of Spell

1. Noun. (obsolete) Speech, discourse. (defdate 8th-15th c.) ¹

2. Noun. Words or a formula supposed to have magical powers. (defdate from 16th c.) ¹

3. Noun. A magical effect or influence induced by an incantation or formula. (defdate from 16th c.) ¹

4. Noun. (context: Wicca) An incantation with beneficial purposes ¹

5. Verb. (obsolete) To speak, to declaim. (defdate 9th-16th c.) ¹

6. Verb. (transitive, obsolete) To read (something) as though letter by letter; to peruse slowly or with effort. (defdate from 14th c.) ¹

7. Verb. (transitive sometimes with “out”) To write or say the letters that form a word or part of a word. (defdate from 16th c.) ¹

8. Verb. (transitive) Of letters: to compose (a word). (defdate from 19th c.) ¹

9. Verb. (transitive figuratively) To indicate that (some event) will occur. (defdate from 19th c.) ¹

10. Verb. (transitive figuratively with “out”) To clarify; to explain in detail. (defdate from 20th c.) ¹

11. Noun. (dialectal) A splinter, usually of wood. ¹

12. Verb. (transitive) To work in place of (someone). ¹

13. Verb. (transitive) To rest (someone or something). ¹

14. Noun. A shift (of work); a set of workers responsible for a specific turn of labour. (defdate from 16th c.) ¹

15. Noun. A period of (work or other activity). (defdate from 18th c.) ¹

16. Noun. An indefinite period of time (usually with some qualifying word). (defdate from 18th c.) ¹

17. Noun. A period of rest; time off. (defdate from 19th c.) ¹

18. Noun. (American English) A period of illness, or sudden interval of bad spirits, disease etc. (defdate from 19th c.) ¹

19. Noun. (cricket) An uninterrupted series of alternate overs bowled by a single bowler. (defdate from 20th c.) ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Spell

1. to name or write the letters of in order [v SPELLED or SPELT, SPELLING, SPELLS]

Medical Definition of Spell

1. 1. To tell; to relate; to teach. "Might I that legend find, By fairies spelt in mystic rhymes." (T. Warton) 2. To put under the influence of a spell; to affect by a spell; to bewitch; to fascinate; to charm. "Spelled with words of power." "He was much spelled with Eleanor Talbot." (Sir G. Buck) 3. To constitute; to measure. "The Saxon heptarchy, when seven kings put together did spell but one in effect." (Fuller) 4. To tell or name in their proper order letters of, as a word; to write or print in order the letters of, especially. The proper letters; to form, as words, by correct orthography. "The word "satire" ought to be spelled with i, and not with y." (Dryden) 5. To discover by characters or marks; to read with difficulty; usually with out; as, to spell out the sense of an author; to spell out a verse in the Bible. "To spell out a God in the works of creation." (South) "To sit spelling and observing divine justice upon every accident." (Milton) Origin: OE. Spellen, spellien, tell, relate, AS. Spellian, fr. Spell a saying, tale; akin to MHG. Spellen to relate, Goth. Spilln.e Spell a tale. In sense 4 and those following, OE. Spellen, perhaps originally a different word, and from or influenced by spell a splinter, from the use of a piece of wood to point to the letters in schools: cf. D. Spellen to spell. Cf. Spell splinter. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Spell

speldrins spelds spelean spelencephaly speleo- speleological speleologically speleologies speleologist speleologists

speleology speleothem speleothems spelk spelks spell (current term) spell-check spell-checker spell-off spell-offs

spell-work spell check spell checker spell checkers spell off spell offs spell out spell work spellable spellathon

Literary usage of Spell

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare (1912)
"... stops him here (C) and puts spell on him. 3He sinks on to bank at R L. ^Chuckles and jumps ... puts spell on him and he sinks on bank R. Puck chuckles, ..."

2. The Complete Poetical Works of Sir Walter Scott by Walter Scott (1900)
"4 A warlock loved the warrior well, Sir Michael Scott by name, And he sought for his sake a spell to make, Should the Southern foemen tame. ..."

3. Building Spelling Skills: Grade 2 by Evan-Moor Educational Publishing, Jo Ellen Moore (2002)
"spell words with final consonant digraphs th and sh; spell words with final consonant blends ng and nk . . Review words with the long i or long e sound ..."

4. The poetical works of Thomas Moore by Thomas Moore (1827)
"... hearts I could name, Which may work too it» charm, though now lawless and hidden. So drink of thi- cup—for oh ! (here *sa spell in Its orry drop gainst ..."

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