Associations to the word «Spell»

Wiktionary

SPELL, noun. (obsolete) Speech, discourse. [8th-15th c.]
SPELL, noun. Words or a formula supposed to have magical powers. [from 16th c.]
SPELL, noun. A magical effect or influence induced by an incantation or formula. [from 16th c.]
SPELL, verb. (obsolete) To speak, to declaim. [9th-16th c.]
SPELL, verb. (obsolete) To tell; to relate; to teach.
SPELL, verb. To put under the influence of a spell; to affect by a spell; to bewitch; to fascinate; to charm.
SPELL, verb. (transitive) (obsolete) To read (something) as though letter by letter; to peruse slowly or with effort. [from 14th c.]
SPELL, verb. (transitive) (sometimes with “out”) To write or say the letters that form a word or part of a word. [from 16th c.]
SPELL, verb. (intransitive) To be able to write or say the letters that form words.
SPELL, verb. (transitive) Of letters: to compose (a word). [from 19th c.]
SPELL, verb. (transitive) (figuratively) To indicate that (some event) will occur. [from 19th c.]
SPELL, verb. (transitive) (figuratively) (with “out”) To clarify; to explain in detail. [from 20th c.]
SPELL, verb. To constitute; to measure.
SPELL, noun. (dialectal) A splinter, usually of wood; a spelk.
SPELL, noun. The wooden bat in the game of trap ball, or knurr and spell.
SPELL, verb. (transitive) To work in place of (someone).
SPELL, verb. (transitive) To rest (someone or something).
SPELL, noun. A shift (of work); a set of workers responsible for a specific turn of labour. [from 16th c.]
SPELL, noun. A period of (work or other activity). [from 18th c.]
SPELL, noun. An indefinite period of time (usually with some qualifying word). [from 18th c.]
SPELL, noun. A period of rest; time off. [from 19th c.]
SPELL, noun. (US) A period of illness, or sudden interval of bad spirits, disease etc. [from 19th c.]
SPELL, noun. (cricket) An uninterrupted series of alternate overs bowled by a single bowler. [from 20th c.]
SPELL CHECK, verb. Alternative form of spellcheck
SPELL CHECKER, noun. A software application that attempts to verify spelling (and sometimes grammar, a grammar checker) in a document.
SPELL CHECKERS, noun. Plural of spell checker
SPELL IT OUT, verb. (intransitive) To provide a simple and understandable explanation.
SPELL IT OUT, verb. (intransitive) To be explicit, to provide even the obvious details.
SPELL OFF, verb. In a spelling bee, of two or more participants, to spell words one after the other until a champion is determined. Usually refers to a series of rounds of spelling in which no spellers are eliminated.
SPELL OFF, verb. (broadly) To participate in a spelling bee.
SPELL OFF, noun. See spell-off.
SPELL OFFS, noun. Plural of spell off
SPELL OUT, verb. (transitive) To form (a word) from its component letters
SPELL OUT, verb. (transitive) To supply all details, especially those considered obvious
SPELL THINGS OUT, verb. (intransitive) To provide simple and understandable details.
SPELL THINGS OUT, verb. (intransitive) To be explicit.
SPELL WORK, noun. Alternative form of spellwork

Dictionary definition

SPELL, noun. A psychological state induced by (or as if induced by) a magical incantation.
SPELL, noun. A time for working (after which you will be relieved by someone else); "it's my go"; "a spell of work".
SPELL, noun. A period of indeterminate length (usually short) marked by some action or condition; "he was here for a little while"; "I need to rest for a piece"; "a spell of good weather"; "a patch of bad weather".
SPELL, noun. A verbal formula believed to have magical force; "he whispered a spell as he moved his hands"; "inscribed around its base is a charm in Balinese".
SPELL, verb. Orally recite the letters of or give the spelling of; "How do you spell this word?" "We had to spell out our names for the police officer".
SPELL, verb. Indicate or signify; "I'm afraid this spells trouble!".
SPELL, 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".
SPELL, verb. Relieve (someone) from work by taking a turn; "She spelled her husband at the wheel".
SPELL, verb. Place under a spell.
SPELL, verb. Take turns working; "the workers spell every four hours".

Wise words

The most important things are the hardest things to say. They are the things you get ashamed of because words diminish your feelings - words shrink things that seem timeless when they are in your head to no more than living size when they are brought out.
Stephen King