spell

== English == === Pronunciation === enPR: spĕl, IPA(key): /spɛl/ Rhymes: -ɛl === Etymology 1 === 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”). ==== Noun ==== spell (plural spells) Words or a formula supposed to have magical powers. [from 16th c.] Synonyms: cantrip, incantation; see also Thesaurus:magic spell A magical effect or influence induced by an incantation or formula. [from 16th c.] Synonyms: cantrip, curse (obsolete) Speech, discourse. [8th–15th c.] ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Translations ===== ==== Verb ==== spell (third-person singular simple present spells, present participle spelling, simple past and past participle spelled) To put under the influence of a spell; to affect by a spell; to bewitch; to fascinate; to charm. Synonyms: bespell, enspell, spellbind; see also Thesaurus:enchant 1697, John Dryden (translator), Georgics, Book 3 in The Works of Virgil, London: Jacob Tonson, p. 109, lines 444-446,[2] 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; (UK, slang, obsolete) To hanker or yearn (for something). 1892, Thomas Wright, The pinch of poverty (page 81) "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." ===== Derived terms ===== counterspell ===== Translations ===== === Etymology 2 === 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”). ==== Verb ==== spell (third-person singular simple present spells, present participle spelling, simple past and past participle spelled or (chiefly UK) spelt) (intransitive, transitive, sometimes with “out”) To write or say the letters that form a word or part of a word. [from 16th c.] (transitive, obsolete) To read (something) as though letter by letter; to peruse slowly or with effort. [from 14th c.] (transitive) Of letters: to compose (a word). [from 19th c.] (transitive, figuratively, with “out”) To clarify; to explain in detail. [from 20th c.] (transitive) To indicate that (some event) will occur; typically followed by a single-word noun. [from 19th c.] To constitute; to measure. (obsolete) To speak, to declaim. [9th–16th c.] (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,[5] As thro’ the caverns dim I wind, Might I that legend find, By fairies spelt in mystic rhymes, (music) To notate or indicate a pitch, interval, or chord using a particular enharmonic spelling. ===== Synonyms ===== (to indicate that some event will occur): forebode; mean; signify (to compose a word): (informal) comprise ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Descendants ===== → Kashubian: spelowac (Canada, United States) ===== Translations ===== === Etymology 3 === 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”). ==== Verb ==== spell (third-person singular simple present spells, present participle spelling, simple past and past participle spelled or spelt) (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. (intransitive, colloquial) To rest from work for a time. ===== Derived terms ===== spell off ===== Translations ===== ==== Noun ==== spell (plural spells) A shift (of work); (rare) a set of workers responsible for a specific turn of labour. [from 16th c.] (informal) A definite period (of work or other activity). [from 18th c.] (colloquial) An indefinite period of time (usually with a qualifier); by extension, a relatively short distance. [from 18th c.] A period of rest; time off. [from 19th c.] (colloquial, US) A period of illness, or sudden interval of bad spirits, disease etc. [from 19th c.] (cricket) An uninterrupted series of alternate overs bowled by a single bowler. [from 20th c.] ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Descendants ===== → Welsh: sbel ===== Translations ===== ==== Quotations ==== For quotations using this term, see Citations:spell. === Etymology 4 === From Middle English spel (“a thin piece of wood”), from Old Norse [Term?]. ==== Noun ==== spell (plural spells) (Northern England) A splinter, usually of wood; a spelk. The wooden bat in the game of trap ball, or knurr and spell. ===== Derived terms ===== northern spell === Anagrams === Pells, pells == Faroese == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /spɛtl/ === Noun === spell n (genitive singular spels, plural spell) pity, shame stór spell big shame tað var spell it was a pity spell var í honum it was too bad for him ==== Declension ==== == Norwegian Bokmål == === Etymology 1 === From the verb spelle. ==== Noun ==== spell n (definite singular spellet, indefinite plural spell, definite plural spella or spellene) alternative form of spill ===== See also ===== spel (Nynorsk) === Etymology 2 === ==== Verb ==== spell imperative of spelle == Old English == === Alternative forms === spel === Etymology === From Proto-West Germanic *spell, from Proto-Germanic *spellą. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /spell/, [speɫ] Rhymes: -ell === Noun === spell n story late 9th century, translation of Orosius’ History Against the Pagans late 9th century, The Voyage of Ohthere and Wulfstan news late 9th century, translation of Orosius’ History Against the Pagans prose or a work of prose late 9th century, King Alfred's translation of Boethius' The Consolation of Philosophy argument late 9th century, King Alfred's translation of Boethius' The Consolation of Philosophy ==== Usage notes ==== Spell and racu mean an argument as in a line of reasoning. For the sense "a debate, dispute, quarrel," ġeflit is used. ==== Declension ==== Strong a-stem: ==== Antonyms ==== lēoþ (“poem”) lēoþcræft (“poetry”) ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Descendants ==== Middle English: spell, spel English: spell