From Middle English spell, spel, from Old English spell (“news, story”), from Proto-Germanic *spellą (“speech, account, tale”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)pel- (“to tell”) or from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- (“to speak, to sound”) with the s-mobile prefix. Cognate with dialectal German Spill, Icelandic spjall (“discussion, talk”), spjalla (“to discuss, to talk”), guðspjall (“gospel”) and Albanian fjalë (“word”).
Meanings
Words or a formula supposed to have magical powers.
He cast a spell to cure warts.
A magical effect or influence induced by an incantation or formula.
Skies are not so black / Mary took me back / Mary has broken your spell 1962, Marty Robbins, “Devil Woman”:
under a spell
I believe your love has placed its spell on me 2020, Deftones, The Spell of Mathematics:
pt encantamento (magical effect of such incantation) · la veneficium (magical effect of such incantation) · ia incantamento (magical effect of such incantation) · fr charme (magical effect of such incantation) · no formel (magical incantation) · ms jampi (magical incantation) · ro descântec (magical incantation) · uk закля́ття (magical effect of such incantation) · he לַחַשׁ (magical incantation) · hu varázs (magical effect of such incantation) · ga geis (magical effect of such incantation) · ko 주문 (magical incantation) · izh taika (magical incantation) · ur منتر (magical incantation) · he כִּשּׁוּף (magical incantation) · ur جادو (magical incantation) · pl czar (magical effect of such incantation) · ca encís (magical incantation) · ja 呪文 (magical incantation) · fur fature (magical incantation) · az pitik (magical incantation) · ca embruixament (magical incantation) · it maleficio (magical effect of such incantation) · egy H-kA:Y1 (magical effect of such incantation) · fi lumous (magical effect of such incantation) · es payé (magical incantation) · cs kouzlo (magical effect of such incantation) · nrf chorchéthon (magical incantation) · klj afsûn (magical incantation) · tya uniyamo (magical incantation) · bo རྨོངས་བྱེད (magical effect of such incantation) · uk ча́ри (magical effect of such incantation) · la cantāmen (magical incantation) · tl tawal (magical incantation) · la incantātiō (magical incantation) · it fattura (magical incantation) · hu varázslat (magical effect of such incantation) · la cantiō (magical incantation) · pl czar (magical incantation) · nrf charme (magical incantation) · fr sort (magical effect of such incantation) · ur سحر (magical incantation) · hu varázsige (magical incantation) · ro farmec (magical effect of such incantation) · eo sorĉo (magical incantation) · txb näsait (magical effect of such incantation) · ms mantera (magical incantation) · lv burvestība (magical effect of such incantation) · ru за́говор (magical incantation) · grc κήλημα (magical incantation) · nrf charme (magical effect of such incantation) · ga piseog (magical incantation) · txb näsait (magical incantation) · fa طلسم (magical incantation) · ru заклина́ние (magical incantation) · fr maléfice (magical incantation) · grc ἐπῳδή (magical incantation) · it formula magica (magical incantation) · ks مٲنٛتھٕر (magical incantation) · bo ངན་སྔགས (magical incantation) · cmn 咒語 /咒语 (magical incantation) · cmn 咒文 (magical incantation) · es gualicho (magical incantation) · da besværgelse (magical incantation) · fr sort (magical incantation) · bo ངན་སྔགས (magical effect of such incantation) · ca conjur (magical effect of such incantation) · no trylleformel (magical incantation) · es hechizo (magical incantation) · fr charme (magical incantation) · enm conjurisoun (magical incantation) · fr formule magique (magical incantation) · tr tılsım (magical incantation) · gl encantamento (magical incantation) · bg заклинание (magical incantation) · cs kouzlo (magical incantation) · sl urok (magical effect of such incantation) · cy swyn (magical incantation) · lv burvju vārdi (magical incantation) · sq yshtje (magical incantation) · la cantamen (magical effect of such incantation) · enm charme (magical incantation) · nl betovering (magical effect of such incantation) · uk закля́ття (magical incantation) · fi kirous (magical effect of such incantation) · es ensalmo (magical incantation) · af towerspreuk (magical incantation) · it maledizione (magical incantation) · bo མཐུ་སྔགས (magical incantation) · ro farmec (magical incantation) · sv trollformel (magical incantation) · pt encanto (magical effect of such incantation) · ga draíocht (magical effect of such incantation) · ca encís (magical effect of such incantation) · de Zauberformel (magical incantation) · it incantesimo (magical incantation) · la venēficium (magical incantation) · de Zauberspruch (magical incantation) · ca conjur (magical incantation) · pt feitiço (magical incantation) · ia formula magic (magical incantation) · it maleficio (magical incantation) · de Zauberwort (magical incantation) · de Zauber (magical effect of such incantation) · sv trollformel (magical effect of such incantation) · ia incantamento (magical incantation) · cs zaříkadlo (magical incantation) · az ovsun (magical incantation) · is álög (magical effect of such incantation) · nl toverspreuk (magical incantation) · ca encantament (magical incantation) · ga briocht draíochta (magical incantation) · fi loitsu (magical incantation) · cs zaklínadlo (magical incantation) · ang gealdor (magical incantation) · pt feitiço (magical effect of such incantation) · bg обаяние (magical effect of such incantation) · id mantra (magical incantation) · ca embruixament (magical effect of such incantation) · uk заклина́ння (magical incantation) · ro vrajă (magical incantation) · sv besvärjelse (magical incantation) · ur ٹونا (magical incantation) · vi thần chú (magical incantation) · gl feitizo (magical incantation) · la fascinum (magical incantation) · ro descântătură (magical incantation) · no besvergelse (magical incantation) · ko 마력 (magical incantation) · it malocchio (magical incantation) · pt encantamento (magical incantation) · is galdraþula (magical incantation) · es hechizo (magical effect of such incantation) · az cadu (magical incantation) · la fascinum (magical effect of such incantation) · da fortryllelse (magical incantation) · ur ٹوٹکا (magical incantation) · fr maléfice (magical effect of such incantation) · la cantio (magical effect of such incantation) · grc ἐπαοιδή (magical incantation) · sv besvärjelse (magical effect of such incantation) · el ξόρκι (magical incantation) · et loits (magical incantation) · ca encantament (magical effect of such incantation) · az sehr (magical incantation) · it sortilegio (magical incantation) · ar تَعْوِيذَة (magical incantation) · it fattura (magical effect of such incantation) · pl urok (magical effect of such incantation) · la effascinatio (magical effect of such incantation) · tr büyü (magical incantation) · ga ortha (magical incantation) · ga briocht draíochta (magical effect of such incantation) · klj əfsûn (magical incantation) · la incantamentum (magical effect of such incantation) · sl urok (magical incantation) · la fascinatio (magical effect of such incantation) · es conjuro (magical incantation) · fr sort (magical incantation) · grc μάγευμα (magical incantation) · hu bűbáj (magical effect of such incantation) · izh noitasana (magical incantation) · pl zaklęcie (magical incantation)
From Middle English spell, spel, from Old English spell (“news, story”), from Proto-Germanic *spellą (“speech, account, tale”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)pel- (“to tell”) or from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- (“to speak, to sound”) with the s-mobile prefix. Cognate with dialectal German Spill, Icelandic spjall (“discussion, talk”), spjalla (“to discuss, to talk”), guðspjall (“gospel”) and Albanian fjalë (“word”).
Meanings
To put under the influence of a spell; to affect by a spell; to bewitch; to fascinate; to charm.
[…] although the Kings Jealousie was thus particular to her, his Affection was as general to others […] Above all, for a time he was much speld with Elianor Talbot […] 1647, George Buck, The History and Life and Reigne of Richard the Third, London, Book 4, p. 116:
1697, John Dryden (translator), Georgics, Book 3 in The Works of Virgil, London: Jacob Tonson, p. 109, lines 444-446,
This, gather’d in the Planetary Hour,
With noxious Weeds, and spell’d with Words of pow’r
Dire Stepdames in the Magick Bowl infuse;
Vnchaine your spirits now with spelling Charmes, 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Sixt”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii], page 115, column 2:
But when, O Wells! thy roses came to me
My sense with their deliciousness was spell’d: 1817, John Keats, “To a Friend who sent me some Roses”, in Poems, London: C. & J. Ollier, page 83:
(UK, obsolete, slang) To hanker or yearn (for something).
"I have not got a coal ticket with me."
"I am sorry you should think I was 'spelling' for a coal ticket," he interrupted; "if such an idea had occurred to me, I should have asked for it straightforwardly." 1892, Thomas Wright, The pinch of poverty, page 81:
pl zaczarowywać (put under the influence of a spell) · cs začarovat (put under the influence of a spell) · de verzaubern (put under the influence of a spell) · bg омагьосван (put under the influence of a spell) · bo མཐུ་འདེབས (put under the influence of a spell) · hu elvarázsol (put under the influence of a spell) · bo རྨོངས་སུ་འཇུག (put under the influence of a spell) · pl zaczarować (put under the influence of a spell)
From Middle English spellen, from Anglo-Norman espeler, espeleir, Old French espeller, espeler (compare Modern French épeler), from Frankish *spelōn, merged with native Old English spellian (“to tell, speak”), both eventually from Proto-Germanic *spellōną (“to speak”). Related with etymology 1. The sense “indicate a future event” probably in part a backformation from forespell (literally “to tell in advance”).
Meanings
(intransitive, sometimes, transitive, with “out”) To write or say the letters that form a word or part of a word.
I find it difficult to spell because I'm dyslexic.
(obsolete, transitive) To read (something) as though letter by letter; to peruse slowly or with effort.
"He'll do," said Bildad, eyeing me, and then went on spelling away at his book in a mumbling tone quite audible. 1851, Herman Melville, Moby Dick:
(transitive) Of letters: to compose (a word).
Welcome to the League Aiming to Menace and Overthrow Spies!
You realize that spells “LAMOS”? 2006 March 13, Richard Clark, “The Dream Teens”, in Totally Spies!: Undercover, season 4, episode 1, spoken by Terrence Lewis and Tim Scam (Matt Charles and Michael Gough), Marathon Media, via Teletoon:
The letters “a”, “n” and “d” spell “and”.
In Esperanto each letter has only one sound, and each sound is represented in only one way. The words are pronounced exactly as spelt, every letter being sounded. 2008, Helen Fryer, The Esperanto Teacher, BiblioBazaar, LLC, →ISBN, page 13:
(figuratively, transitive, with “out”) To clarify; to explain in detail.
When we get elected, for instance, we get one of these, and we are pretty much told what is in it, and it is our responsibility to read it and understand it, and if we do not, the Ethics Committee, we can call them any time of day and ask them to spell it out for us[…] 2003, U.S. Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbel, Hearing before the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, →ISBN:
Please spell it out for me.
(transitive) To indicate that (some event) will occur; typically followed by a single-word noun.
This spells trouble.
To constitute; to measure.
the Saxon heptarchy, when seven kings put together did spell but one in effect 1655, Thomas Fuller, The Church-history of Britain; […], London: […] Iohn Williams […], →OCLC, (please specify |book=I to XI):
(obsolete) To speak, to declaim.
O who can tell / The hidden power of herbes, and might of Magicke spell? 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto II”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
(obsolete) To tell; to relate; to teach.
1770, Thomas Warton, “Ode on the Approach of Summer” in A Collection of Poems in Four Volumes, London: G. Pearch, Volume 1, p. 278,
As thro’ the caverns dim I wind,
Might I that legend find,
By fairies spelt in mystic rhymes,
To notate or indicate a pitch, interval, or chord using a particular enharmonic spelling.
The note D♭ is spelled differently from C♯, even though they sound equivalent.
A dominant seventh chord is spelled with a diminished seventh interval, not a major sixth.
The way you spell a chord reflects its harmonic function.
signify (to indicate that some event will occur) · mean (to indicate that some event will occur) · forebode (to indicate that some event will occur) · comprise (to compose a word)
Translations (146)
sl črkovati (to write or say the letters that form a word) · nb stave (to write or say the letters that form a word) · pl oznaczać (to indicate that some future event will occur) · pt soletrar (to compose a word) · pl przeliterowywać (to write or say the letters that form a word) · ro se scrie (to compose a word) · io espelar (to write or say the letters that form a word) · el γράφω ορθογραφημένα (to compose a word) · ka სიტყვების შედგენა (to compose a word) · ms mengeja (to write or say the letters that form a word) · grc ἐπιγράφω (to compose a word) · cs hláskovat (to write or say the letters that form a word) · pl przeliterować (figuratively, to clarify) · ru произноси́ть по бу́квам (to write or say the letters that form a word) · is stafa (to compose a word) · is stafa (to write or say the letters that form a word) · ast solletriar (to write or say the letters that form a word) · fr épeler (to write or say the letters that form a word) · ar تَهَجَّى (to compose a word) · ja 綴る (to write or say the letters that form a word) · nn stava (to write or say the letters that form a word) · ca lletrejar (to compose a word) · da stave (to write or say the letters that form a word) · haw hoʻokuʻi (to compose a word) · fi merkitä (to indicate that some future event will occur) · cmn 拼寫 /拼写 (to write or say the letters that form a word) · hy հեգել (to write or say the letters that form a word) · ga litrigh (to write or say the letters that form a word) · is stafsetja (to write or say the letters that form a word) · sv stava (to write or say the letters that form a word) · eu letreiatu (to write or say the letters that form a word) · it scrivere (to write or say the letters that form a word) · ang areccan bocstafas (to write or say the letters that form a word) · tr kodlamak (to write or say the letters that form a word) · ast delletriar (to write or say the letters that form a word) · it presagire (to indicate that some future event will occur) · nl spellen (to compose a word) · km ប្រកប (to compose a word) · de klarmachen (figuratively, to clarify) · ar هَجَّى (to compose a word) · yue 串 (to write or say the letters that form a word) · ko 철자하다 (to compose a word) · haw pela (to write or say the letters that form a word) · ro rosti (to write or say the letters that form a word) · da stave (to compose a word) · it vaticinare (to indicate that some future event will occur) · haw pela (to compose a word) · mi takikupu (to write or say the letters that form a word) · fi tavata (to write or say the letters that form a word) · pt pressagiar (to indicate that some future event will occur) · fi tietää (to indicate that some future event will occur) · pt soletrar (to write or say the letters that form a word) · it sillabare (to write or say the letters that form a word) · mi tātaki kupu (to write or say the letters that form a word) · hy բառ կազմել (to compose a word) · mi tātaki (to write or say the letters that form a word) · yi אויסלייגן (to write or say the letters that form a word) · hu betűz (to write or say the letters that form a word) · de auf gut Deutsch gesagt (figuratively, to clarify) · el συνεπάγομαι (to indicate that some future event will occur) · cy sillafu (to compose a word) · fi selventää (figuratively, to clarify) · fa املاء کردن (to write or say the letters that form a word) · es U.S.: espelear (to compose a word) · no stave (to compose a word) · pl literować (figuratively, to clarify) · ar هَجَّى (to write or say the letters that form a word) · ia indicar (to indicate that some future event will occur) · sh pisati (to compose a word) · ko 의미하다 (to indicate that some future event will occur) · vi đánh vần (to compose a word) · lv uzrakstīt (to write or say the letters that form a word) · mn үсэглэх (to compose a word) · fa هجی کردن (to write or say the letters that form a word) · es espeletear (to write or say the letters that form a word) · ro clarifica (figuratively, to clarify) · pt vaticinar (to indicate that some future event will occur) · sv betyda (to indicate that some future event will occur) · fi vääntää rautalangasta (figuratively, to clarify) · ru писа́ть по бу́квам (to compose a word) · es grafiar (to compose a word) · tr hecelemek (to write or say the letters that form a word) · id mengeja (to write or say the letters that form a word) · pl przeliterować (to write or say the letters that form a word) · nl betekenen (to indicate that some future event will occur) · es U.S.: espelear (to write or say the letters that form a word) · pl oznaczać (to compose a word) · de bilden (to compose a word) · cmn 拼字 (to compose a word) · pt prever (to indicate that some future event will occur) · lv izrunāt (to write or say the letters that form a word) · cmn 拼 (to write or say the letters that form a word) · gd litrich (to compose a word) · de entziffern (figuratively, to clarify) · th สะกด (to compose a word) · cmn 拼 (to compose a word) · ga litrigh (to compose a word) · ca lletrejar (to write or say the letters that form a word) · it compitare (to write or say the letters that form a word) · cmn 拼字 (to write or say the letters that form a word) · fo stavseta (to write or say the letters that form a word) · he איית (to write or say the letters that form a word) · ro litera (to write or say the letters that form a word) · fi muodostaa (to compose a word) · es grafiar (to write or say the letters that form a word) · de ergeben (to compose a word) · ka დამარცვლით კითხვა (to write or say the letters that form a word) · eo literumi (to compose a word) · it sillabare (to compose a word) · de bedeuten (to indicate that some future event will occur) · ms mengeja (to compose a word) · es espeletear (to compose a word) · nl spellen (to write or say the letters that form a word) · es deletrear (to write or say the letters that form a word) · el γράφω ορθογραφημένα (to write or say the letters that form a word) · pl literować (to write or say the letters that form a word) · it scandire (to write or say the letters that form a word) · fr épeler (to compose a word) · de vorhersagen (to indicate that some future event will occur) · bo དག་ཆ་བྲིས (to compose a word) · ia componer (to compose a word) · it fare lo spelling (to compose a word) · mi tātaki (to compose a word) · it compitare (to compose a word) · de buchstabieren (to write or say the letters that form a word) · sh sricati (to write or say the letters that form a word) · ro indica (to indicate that some future event will occur) · sw endeleza (to write or say the letters that form a word) · wa speli (to write or say the letters that form a word) · lv nosaukt pa burtiem (to compose a word) · fi kirjoittaa (to write or say the letters that form a word) · he איית (to compose a word) · es deletrear (to compose a word) · th สะกด (to write or say the letters that form a word) · cs tvořit (to compose a word) · et veerima (to compose a word) · pl przeliterowywać (figuratively, to clarify) · ja 綴る (to compose a word) · ia orthographiar (to write or say the letters that form a word) · la conscribo (to compose a word) · eo literumi (to write or say the letters that form a word) · sv stava (to compose a word) · de schreiben (to write or say the letters that form a word) · ko 철자하다 (to write or say the letters that form a word) · ar تَهَجَّى (to write or say the letters that form a word) · el συλλαβίζω (to write or say the letters that form a word)
From Middle English spelen, from Old English spelian (“to represent, take or stand in the place of another, act as a representative of another”), akin to Middle English spale (“a rest or break”), Old English spala (“representative, substitute”).
Meanings
A shift (of work); (rare) a set of workers responsible for a specific turn of labour.
(informal) A definite period (of work or other activity).
Despite his ill-fated spell at Anfield, he received a warm reception from the same Liverpool fans he struggled to win over before being sacked midway through last season. 2012 April 22, Sam Sheringham, “Liverpool 0-1 West Brom”, in BBC Sport:
A chap named Eleazir Kendrick and I had chummed in together the summer afore and built a fish-weir and shanty at Setuckit Point, down Orham way. For a spell we done pretty well. Then there came a reg'lar terror of a sou'wester same as you don't get one summer in a thousand, and blowed the shanty flat and ripped about half of the weir poles out of the sand. 1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter I, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:
I had a job in the great North Woods / Workin' as a cook for a spell / But I never did like it all that much / And one day the ax just fell 1975, Bob Dylan, “Tangled Up in Blue”:
(colloquial) An indefinite period of time (usually with a qualifier); by extension, a relatively short distance.
[...] Class 37s became synonymous with the depot, and over the years more than a third of the class had a spell allocated to the shed. 2020 June 17, John Crosse, “Thornaby's traction transition”, in Rail, page 65:
Even Mrs. Harker seems to lose sight of her trouble for whole spells. [...] When he had spoken, Mina's long spell of silence made me look at her. 1897, Bram Stoker, chapter 24, in Dracula, HTML edition:
So after a short spell in the brass foundry the wisest course was to follow with a similar period in the steel foundry, where much important work was done, including the manufacture of centres for wheels. 1944 November and December, A Former Pupil, “Some Memories of Crewe Works—II”, in Railway Magazine, page 343:
A period of rest; time off.
(US, colloquial) A period of illness, or sudden interval of bad spirits, disease etc.
An uninterrupted series of alternate overs bowled by a single bowler.
pl krótki okres (indefinite period of time) · ia breve periodo (indefinite period of time) · ko 한참 (indefinite period of time) · bg кратко време (indefinite period of time) · de Weilchen (indefinite period of time) · ro interval (indefinite period of time) · ga scaitheamh (indefinite period of time) · ga tamall (indefinite period of time) · ru промежу́ток вре́мени (indefinite period of time) · ga rith tinnis (period of illness, outburst of bad spirits) · gd ùine (indefinite period of time) · el περίοδος (indefinite period of time) · mi tūāmoe (indefinite period of time) · gd spealag (indefinite period of time) · pl choroba (period of illness, outburst of bad spirits) · de Weile (indefinite period of time) · de kurze Periode (indefinite period of time) · pt breve período (indefinite period of time) · ru вре́мя (indefinite period of time) · ga seal (indefinite period of time) · ko 한동안 (indefinite period of time) · ru пери́од (indefinite period of time) · de Zeitdauer (indefinite period of time) · lv īss laika sprīdis (indefinite period of time) · fr moment (indefinite period of time) · fi purkaus (period of illness, outburst of bad spirits) · cy sbel (indefinite period of time) · fi jakso (indefinite period of time) · fr épisode (indefinite period of time) · pt intervalo (indefinite period of time) · cmn 陣 /阵 (indefinite period of time) · ru интерва́л (indefinite period of time) · ia intervallo (indefinite period of time)
From Middle English spelen, from Old English spelian (“to represent, take or stand in the place of another, act as a representative of another”), akin to Middle English spale (“a rest or break”), Old English spala (“representative, substitute”).
Meanings
(transitive) To work in place of (someone).
to spell the helmsman
(transitive) To rest (someone or something), to give someone or something a rest or break.
They spelled the horses and rested in the shade of some trees near a brook.
(colloquial, intransitive) To rest from work for a time.
fi lepuuttaa (To give somebody or something rest) · it rimpiazzare (to work in place of someone) · pl dać odpocząć (To give somebody or something rest) · ia relevar (to work in place of someone) · nl invallen voor (to work in place of someone) · ro înlocui (to work in place of someone) · fi olla sijaisena (to work in place of someone) · bg давам почивка (To give somebody or something rest) · pl zastępować (to work in place of someone) · mi whakaokioki (To give somebody or something rest) · it dare il cambio (to work in place of someone) · lv nomainīt (to work in place of someone) · de abwechseln (to work in place of someone) · fi tuurata (to work in place of someone) · pt render (to work in place of someone) · pl zastąpić (to work in place of someone) · lv aizvietot (to work in place of someone) · pl dawać odpocząć (To give somebody or something rest) · fi korvata (to work in place of someone) · it rilevare (to work in place of someone) · mi whakakapi (to work in place of someone) · de vertreten (to work in place of someone) · bg замествам (to work in place of someone) · it sostituire (to work in place of someone)
From Middle English spel (“a thin piece of wood”), from Old Norse [Term?].
Meanings
(Northern-England) A splinter, usually of wood; a spelk.
To swadle a bowe much about wyth bandes, verye seldome dothe anye good, excepte it be to kepe downe a spel in the backe. 1545, Roger Ascham, Toxophilus, the Schole of Shootinge […], London: […] Edouardi Whytchurch, →OCLC:
The wooden bat in the game of trap ball, or knurr and spell.