spell

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Definitions (55)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (22)

  1. transitive verb To name or write in order the letters constituting (a word or part of a word).
  2. transitive verb To constitute the letters of (a word): These letters spell animal.
  3. transitive verb To add up to; signify: Their unwise investment could spell financial ruin.
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Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (17)

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Examples (50)

  • What broke the spell was the sight of the edge of a now-familiar frame, right at the corner of his eye. —  Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, March-April 2005
  • The spirit protection spell was theorized to form a short-range barrier around a person which spirits couldn't penetrate; if it was coupled with a release spell, the combination might at least push the lar far enough back for her to slip past it. —  Triplet
  • Still her voice charmed Pharaoh, but her spell was a shared dream of the past. —  F ;SF - vol 100 issue 04 - April 2001
  • You know about despelling victims of wicked spells I'm sure the reference to a spell is a desperate guess on the part of the physicians. —  F ;SF; - vol 089 issue 04-05 - October-November 1995
  • I still need seven magical beings But the spell is already cast,' argued Artemis. —  ARTEMIS FOWL is a child prodigy from Ireland who has dedicated his brilliant mind to criminal activities
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This word has been looked up 160 times.

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Roget's II Roget's II: The New Thesaurus

Allen's Allen's Synonyms and Antonyms

Used in the same context Used in the Same Context

magic ·  vision ·  sensation ·  aspect ·  touch ·  symbol ·  tale ·  method ·  charm ·  suggestion ·  device ·  song

Used in the same contextWord Family

spell:   spelling ·  Spell ·  spelled ·  spells
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (8)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (3)

  1. Middle English spellen, to read letter by letter, from Old French espeller, of Germanic origin.
  2. Middle English, discourse, from Old English.
  3. From Middle English spelen, to spare, from Old English spelian, to represent, substitute for.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (5)

  1. from Middle English spelle, spel, from Anglo-Saxon spel, spell, a saying, tale, story, history, narrative, fable, also speech, discourse, command, teaching, doctrine, = Old Saxon spel (spell-) = Old High German spel (spell-), a tale, narrative, = Icelandic spjall, a saying, saw, plural spjöll, words, tidings. = Gothic (Moesogothic) spill, a tale, fable, myth; root unknown. The word is found in many Anglo-Saxon and Middle English compounds, of which the principal ones are represented by byspell and gospel, Cf. spell, v.
  2. from Middle English spellen, spellien, spealie, spilien, from Anglo-Saxon spellian (preterit spellede, past participle spelled), tell, declare, relate, speak, discourse (= Middle Dutch spellen, declare, explain, explain in detail or point by point, spell, = Old High German spellōn, Middle High German spellen, declare, relate, = Icelandic spjalla, speak, talk, = Gothic (Moesogothic) spillōn, tell, narrate), from spel, a tale, story: see spell, n. Cf. spell, v.
  3. Middle English spelen, spelien, from Anglo-Saxon spelian, act in one's stead, take one's place, also rarely spilian, play, jest, = Old Saxon spilōn, play, dance, = Dutch spelen = Middle Low German Low German spelen, play, game, act, move, sparkle, allude, = Old High German spilōn, Middle High German spiln, German spielen = Icelandic spila, play, spend, play at cards, = Swedish spela = Danish spille, act a part, move, sparkle, play, gamble; from a noun not recorded in Anglo-Saxon, but appearing as Old Saxon spil, play (of weapons), = Middle Dutch, Dutch spel = Middle Low German spil, Low German spile, play, music, performance, cards, = Old High German Middle High German spil, German spiel, play, game; root unknown.
  4. from spell, v.
  5. Also spill, speal, formerly speall; partly a variant of speld (see speld), partly from D. spil, the pin of a bobbin, spindle, axis (see spindle). Of. spall, spale.
 

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/spɛl/
by American Heritage
by Lee Davis-Thalbourne

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