spell
Forms
- Plural
- spells
- present (v1)
- spell
- past (v2)
- spelled
- past participle (v3)
- spelled
- present participle
- spelling
- 3rd person singular
- spells
Definitions
1.Words or a formula supposed to have magical powers.
- He cast a spell to cure warts.
2.A magical effect or influence induced by an incantation or formula.
3.A shift (of work); (rare) a set of workers responsible for a specific turn of labour.
4.A definite period (of work or other activity).(informal)
- 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.
1.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.
2.Of letters: to compose (a word).
- 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.
3.To clarify; to explain in detail.
- Please spell it out for me.
4.To put under the influence of a spell; to affect by a spell; to bewitch; to fascinate; to charm.
Frequency
Overall
Rare· #4173
By learning goal
- Everyday conversation
- Rare
- General reading & writing
- Rare
- Academic
- Rare
- Literature
- Rare
Etymology
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.