spell
pronunciation
How to pronounce spell in British English:
UK [spel]
How to pronounce spell in American English:
US [spel]
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- Noun:
- a psychological state induced by (or as if induced by) a magical incantation
- a time for working (after which you will be relieved by someone else)
- a period of indeterminate length (usually short) marked by some action or condition
- a verbal formula believed to have magical force
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- Verb:
- recite the letters of or give the spelling of
- indicate or signify
- write or name the letters that comprise the conventionally accepted form of (a word or part of a word)
- place under a spell
Word Origin
- spell
- spell: English has three distinct words spell, although two of them come from the same ultimate source. Spell ‘name the letters of a word’ [13] was adapted from Old French espeler ‘read out’. This was descended from an earlier *espeldre, which was borrowed from prehistoric Germanic *spellōn. And it was a noun relative of this, *spellam, which gave English spell ‘magic formula’ [OE]. Spell ‘period of time’ [16] may go back ultimately to Old English spelian ‘substitute’; its original meaning was ‘replace someone else at a job’, and the main modern sense ‘period of time’ did not emerge, via ‘period of work’, until the 18th century.
- spell (v.1)
- early 14c., "read letter by letter, write or say the letters of;" c. 1400, "form words by means of letters," apparently a French word that merged with or displaced a native Old English one; both are from the same Germanic root, but the French word had evolved a different sense. The native word is Old English spellian "to tell, speak, discourse, talk," from Proto-Germanic *spellam (cognates: Old High German spellon "to tell," Old Norse spjalla, Gothic spillon "to talk, tell"), from PIE *spel- (2) "to say aloud, recite." But the current senses seem to come from Anglo-French espeller, Old French espelir "mean, signify, explain, interpret," also "spell out letters, pronounce, recite," from Frankish *spellon "to tell" or some other Germanic source, ultimately identical with the native word. Related: Spelled; spelling. In early Middle English still "to speak, preach, talk, tell," hence such expressions as hear spell "hear (something) told or talked about," spell the wind "talk in vain" (both 15c.). Meaning "form words with proper letters" is from 1580s. Spell out "explain step-by-step" is first recorded 1940, American English. Shakespeare has spell (someone) backwards "reverse the character of, explain in a contrary sense, portray with determined negativity."
- spell (n.1)
- Old English spell "story, saying, tale, history, narrative, fable; discourse, command," from Proto-Germanic *spellam (see spell (v.1)). Compare Old Saxon spel, Old Norse spjall, Old High German spel, Gothic spill "report, discourse, tale, fable, myth;" German Beispiel "example." From c. 1200 as "an utterance, something said, a statement, remark;" meaning "set of words with supposed magical or occult powers, incantation, charm" first recorded 1570s; hence any means or cause of enchantment. The term 'spell' is generally used for magical procedures which cause harm, or force people to do something against their will -- unlike charms for healing, protection, etc. ["Oxford Dictionary of English Folklore"] Also in Old English, "doctrine; a sermon; religious instruction or teaching; the gospel; a book of the Bible;" compare gospel.
- spell (v.2)
- "work in place of (another)," 1590s, earlier spele, from Old English spelian "to take the place of, be substitute for, represent," related to gespelia "substitute," of uncertain origin. Perhaps related to spilian "to play" (see spiel). Related: Spelled; spelling.
- spell (n.2)
- 1620s, "a turn of work in place of another," from spell (v.2); compare Old English gespelia "a substitute." Meaning shifted toward "continuous course of work" (1706), probably via notion of shift work (as at sea) where one man or crew regularly "spelled" another. Hence "continuous stretch" of something (weather, etc.), recorded by 1728. Hence also, via the notion in give a spell (1750) "relieve another by taking a turn of work" came the sense "interval of rest or relaxation" (1845), which took the word to a sense opposite what it had at the start.
Example
- 1. Manually look for mistakes the spell checker cannot detect .
- 2. On the surface these attitudes seem to spell deadlock .
- 3. That could spell big trouble for chinese banks .
- 4. If you can dig a pit in dry sand which will remain full of water , my spell will be broken .
- 5. Foreign leaders are disproportionately educated at american universities , where they cannot help but notice that political freedom need not spell chaos .