spell

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a verbal formula believed to have magical force

   I whispered a spell as I moved my hands in mysterious ways.

2. 2
   verb

   take turns working

   the workers spell every four hours

3. 3
   verb

   indicate or signify

   I'm afraid this spells trouble!

4. 4
   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

5. 5
   verb

   write or name the letters that comprise the conventionally accepted form of a word or part of a word

   Mississippi is a fun word to spell.

6. 6
   verb

   relieve someone from work by taking a turn

   I spelled my roommate at the wheel after the first few hours of driving.

7. 7
   noun

   Words or a formula supposed to have magical powers.

   He cast a spell to cure warts.

8. 8
   noun

   A magical effect or influence induced by an incantation or formula.

   under a spell

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. Cognate with dialectal German Spill, Icelandic spjall (“discussion, talk”), spjalla (“to discuss, to talk”), guðspjall (“gospel”) and Albanian fjalë (“word”).