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Fine Dictionary

spell

spɛl
WordNet
Allegorical representation on the spell 'There is a measure in all things' (Est modus in rebus). In the center the personification of Temperance (Temperantia) in a halo, crowned by two angels. Above her in a halo a tetragrammatic. She is flanked by Intemperance (Intemperantia), Envy (Invidia), Wrath (Ira) and Avarice (Avaritia), Lust (Luxuria), Pride (Superbia), and the Cultus Immoderatus and Vestitus Immoderatus. All are crowned by angels. In the foreground various measuring instruments and a moon and earth globe. In the margin a caption in Latin.
Allegorical representation on the spell 'There is a measure in all things' (Est modus in rebus). In the center the personification of Temperance (Temperantia) in a halo, crowned by two angels. Above her in a halo a tetragrammatic. She is flanked by Intemperance (Intemperantia), Envy (Invidia), Wrath (Ira) and Avarice (Avaritia), Lust (Luxuria), Pride (Superbia), and the Cultus Immoderatus and Vestitus Immoderatus. All are crowned by angels. In the foreground various measuring instruments and a moon and earth globe. In the margin a caption in Latin.
  1. (v) spell
    take turns working "the workers spell every four hours"
  2. (v) spell
    indicate or signify "I'm afraid this spells trouble!"
  3. (v) spell
    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"
  4. (v) spell
    place under a spell
  5. (v) spell
    write or name the letters that comprise the conventionally accepted form of (a word or part of a word) "He spelled the word wrong in this letter"
  6. (v) spell
    relieve (someone) from work by taking a turn "She spelled her husband at the wheel"
  7. (n) spell
    a verbal formula believed to have magical force "he whispered a spell as he moved his hands","inscribed around its base is a charm in Balinese"
  8. (n) spell
    a psychological state induced by (or as if induced by) a magical incantation
  9. (n) spell
    a period of indeterminate length (usually short) marked by some action or condition "he was here for a little while","I need to rest for a piece","a spell of good weather","a patch of bad weather"
  10. (n) spell
    a time for working (after which you will be relieved by someone else) "it's my go","a spell of work"
Illustrations
Johannes van der Spelled, professor of medicine in Leiden, in profile. He is standing on a terrace and has taken off one of his gloves.
Johannes van der Spelled, professor of medicine in Leiden, in profile. He is standing on a terrace and has taken off one of his gloves.
Portrait of Karel Martel with his coat of arms and spell. Below the portrait a short biography. Numbered 'VI' at the top.
Portrait of Karel Martel with his coat of arms and spell. Below the portrait a short biography. Numbered 'VI' at the top.
The herald of the Seven United Provinces with a spell band in his hands, surrounded by putti, standing under a canopy. On the left is an orange tree and three putti are holding a coat of arms with the Dutch lion. On the right, a putto with a branch of the tree smashes a coat of arms of the Union of Utrecht.
The herald of the Seven United Provinces with a spell band in his hands, surrounded by putti, standing under a canopy. On the left is an orange tree and three putti are holding a coat of arms with the Dutch lion. On the right, a putto with a branch of the tree smashes a coat of arms of the Union of Utrecht.
Egyptians kill dragons by luring the beasts onto a sheet with a spell written on it. The beasts immediately fall asleep and the hunters then decapitate them. In the background to the left, one of the dragons is attacking an elephant. The print has a Latin caption and is part of a series about hunting scenes.
Egyptians kill dragons by luring the beasts onto a sheet with a spell written on it. The beasts immediately fall asleep and the hunters then decapitate them. In the background to the left, one of the dragons is attacking an elephant. The print has a Latin caption and is part of a series about hunting scenes.
Two performances of lottery spells, each with its own number. Above n. 821: a representation in a round frame of Happiness, a woman in a jester's robe. She carries a chameleon in one hand and a weathercock in the other, a symbol of her volatility. Coins fall from her cloak and are picked up by bystanders. Under n. 829: an octagonal frame depicting a woman and a man in a boat. The woman fell backwards. The print has a page number at the top right.
Two performances of lottery spells, each with its own number. Above n. 821: a representation in a round frame of Happiness, a woman in a jester's robe. She carries a chameleon in one hand and a weathercock in the other, a symbol of her volatility. Coins fall from her cloak and are picked up by bystanders. Under n. 829: an octagonal frame depicting a woman and a man in a boat. The woman fell backwards. The print has a page number at the top right.
Two performances of lottery spells, each with its own number. Above n. 217: a representation in a round frame of a sailing ship at sea. One of the skippers relieves himself from the boat. His excrement falls on a seal. Under n. 220: a representation in an octagonal frame of two vagrants who leave a house, overloaded with household goods. In the background some rich people around a table, seen through an open door. The print has a page number at the top right.
Two performances of lottery spells, each with its own number. Above n. 217: a representation in a round frame of a sailing ship at sea. One of the skippers relieves himself from the boat. His excrement falls on a seal. Under n. 220: a representation in an octagonal frame of two vagrants who leave a house, overloaded with household goods. In the background some rich people around a table, seen through an open door. The print has a page number at the top right.
Portrait of Louis the Stammerer with his spell and colored coat of arms. Below the portrait a short biography. Numbered 'XIII.' At the top.
Portrait of Louis the Stammerer with his spell and colored coat of arms. Below the portrait a short biography. Numbered 'XIII.' At the top.
Two performances of lottery spells, each with its own number. Above n. 400: a representation in a round frame of a man spanking his wife with a wet cloth. Under n. 403: an octagonal frame of a man in a living room, sitting at a table. An empty pouch in his hand, a symbol of his poverty. The print has a page number at the top right.
Two performances of lottery spells, each with its own number. Above n. 400: a representation in a round frame of a man spanking his wife with a wet cloth. Under n. 403: an octagonal frame of a man in a living room, sitting at a table. An empty pouch in his hand, a symbol of his poverty. The print has a page number at the top right.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
Interesting fact
Racecar spelled backwards is racecar.
  1. Spell
    A spelk, or splinter.
  2. Spell
    A story; a tale. "Hearken to my spell ."
  3. Spell
    One of two or more persons or gangs who work by spells. "Their toil is so extreme that they can not endure it above four hours in a day, but are succeeded by spells ."
  4. Spell
    The relief of one person by another in any piece of work or watching; also, a turn at work which is carried on by one person or gang relieving another; as, a spell at the pumps; a spell at the masthead. "A spell at the wheel is called a trick."
  5. Spell
    The time during which one person or gang works until relieved; hence, any relatively short period of time, whether a few hours, days, or weeks. "Nothing new has happened in this quarter, except the setting in of a severe spell of cold weather."
  6. Spell
    To constitute; to measure. "The Saxon heptarchy, when seven kings put together did spell but one in effect."
  7. Spell
    To put under the influence of a spell; to affect by a spell; to bewitch; to fascinate; to charm. "Spelled with words of power.", "He was much spelled with Eleanor Talbot."
  8. Spell
    To supply the place of for a time; to take the turn of, at work; to relieve; as, to spell the helmsman.
  9. Spell
    To tell or name in their proper order letters of, as a word; to write or print in order the letters of, esp. the proper letters; to form, as words, by correct orthography. "The word “satire” ought to be spelled with i, and not with y."
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
Interesting fact
The smallest number spelled with an "a" is one thousand.
  1. (n) spell
    A tale; story; narrative.
  2. (n) spell
    Speech; word of mouth; direct address.
  3. (n) spell
    A charm consisting of some words of supposed occult power; any form of words, whether written or spoken, supposed to be endowed with magical virtues; an incantation; hence, any means or cause of enchantment, literally or figuratively; a magical or an enthralling charm; a condition of enchantment; fascination; as, to cast a spell over a person; to be under a spell, or bound by a spell.
  4. spell
    To tell; relate; teach; disclose.
  5. spell
    To act as a spell upon; entrance; enthrall; fascinate; charm.
  6. spell
    To imbue with magic properties.
  7. spell
    To tell; tell a story; give an account.
  8. spell
    To tell or set forth letter by letter; set down letter by letter; tell the letters of; form by or in letters.
  9. spell
    To read letter by letter, or with laborious effort; hence, to discover by careful study; make out point by point: often with out or orer.
  10. spell
    To constitute, as letters constitute a word; make up.
  11. spell
    To form words with the proper letters, in either reading or writing; repeat or set down the letters of words.
  12. spell
    To make a study; engage in careful contemplation of something.
  13. spell
    To take the place of (another person) temporarily in doing something; take turns with; relieve for a time; give a rest to. Sometimes there are two ostensible boilers [slaves in charge of sugar-boiling] to spell and relieve one another.
  14. (n) spell
    A turn of work or duty in place of another; an interval of relief by another person; an exchange of work and rest: as, to take one's regular spell; to work the pumps by spells.
  15. (n) spell
    Hence. A continuous course of employment in work or duty; a turn of occupation between periods of rest; a bout.
  16. (n) spell
    An interval of. rest or relaxation; a turn or period of relief from work; a resting-time.
  17. (n) spell
    Any interval of time within definite limits; an unbroken term or period.
  18. (n) spell
    A short period, indefinitely; an odd or occasional interval; an uncertain term; a while.
  19. (n) spell
    A bad turn; an uncomfortable time; a period of personal ailment or ill feeling.
  20. (n) spell
    A chip, splinter, or splint.
  21. (n) spell
    In the game of nur-and-spell, the steel spring by which the nur is thrown into the air.
  22. (n) spell
    One of the transverse pieces at the bottom of a chair which strengthen and keep together the legs.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary
Interesting fact
"Evian" spelled backwards is naive.
  1. (n) Spell
    spel any form of words supposed to possess magical power: fascination
  2. (v.t) Spell
    to tell or name the letters of: to name, write, or print the proper letters of
  3. (v.i) Spell
    to form words with the proper letters: to study:—pr.p. spell′ing; pa.t. and pa.p. spelled, spelt
  4. (v.t) Spell
    spel to take another's place at work
  5. (pr.p) Spell
    spell′ing; pa.t. and pa.p. spelled
  6. (n) Spell
    a turn at work: a short period indefinitely: an interval of rest: a bad turn
Quotations
George Sand
The beauty that addresses itself to the eyes is only the spell of the moment; the eye of the body is not always that of the soul.
George Sand
Norman Vincent Peale
There is a real magic in enthusiasm. It spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment.
Norman Vincent Peale
Evil spelled backward is live.
Source Unknown
Andrew Jackson
It's a damn poor mind that can only think of one way to spell a word.
Andrew Jackson
The lullaby is the spell whereby the mother attempts to transform herself back from an ogre to a saint.
James Fenton
Eric Hoffer
To spell out the obvious is often to call it in question.
Eric Hoffer
Idioms

Dry spell - If something or someone is having a dry spell, they aren't being as successful as they normally are.

Good spell - A spell can mean a fairly or relatively short period of time; you'll hear weather forecasts predict a dry spell. Sports commentators will say that a sportsperson is going through a good spell when they're performing consistently better than they normally do.

Etymology

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary OE. spellen, spellien, tell, relate, AS. spellian, fr. spell, a saying, tale; akin to MHG. spellen, to relate, Goth. spilln,.e Spell a tale. In sense 4 and those following, OE. spellen, perhaps originally a different word, and from or influenced by spell, a splinter, from the use of a piece of wood to point to the letters in schools: cf. D. spellen, to spell. Cf. Spell splinter

Usage in the news

Fainting Spells Often Tied to Too Many Meds at Once: Study. usnews.com

Barring a successful appeal, a ruling Wednesday spells the end to the Authors Guild's claims related to HathiTrust--a massive digitization project involving Google Inc and a group of university libraries. americanlawyer.com

So whenever I go about hiring a new reporter (or any job at Snyder Communications), we always administer a spelling test. evesun.com

Every year we wait for the monsoon season to come and beat the heat of summer's spell. star1015.com

During the midst of my misguided poor-artist spell I went to Whole Foods to do what many vagabond people rave about: grazing for a meal. curvemag.com

Spelling's husband is holding their daughter Stella. qcsunonline.com

Just ask celeb mom Tori Spelling. qcsunonline.com

Red glitter spelled out S-A-N-T-A on one side of the signs, which they continued to take to the parade in the years after. thestar.com

Matusevich says the gnats were expected to depart by November, but warm spells have kept them around. onlineathens.com

It seems the only time Bill Long uses his kitchen is to prepare foods he can't spell. cbsnews.com

Alcoa Rotary takes first place in Spelling Bee. blounttoday.com

Zerban supporters spell his name in lights on a bridge in Walworth County, Wisconsin. usnews.com

In plain English, what such messages usually spell is trouble, and, where a computer is equipped with a hard drive , quite often that's where the trouble lies. nytimes.com

Cast a spell — that is what movies (at least nondocumentary ones) are or were supposed to do, and yet how often do they achieve that aim today. sfbg.com

The letters on the license plate to Rod Reprogle's 2003 Chevy Silverado SS spell out RODSTOY. ilsonpost.com

Usage in scientific papers

First, we spell out the reduction semantics of type-preserving combinators, and we formalise the corresponding generic type TP.
Typed Generic Traversal With Term Rewriting Strategies

Here we repeat essentially the same argument and spell out it in the d = 2 case with the appropriate modifications, using Lemma 2.2.
Maximal local time of a d-dimensional simple random walk on subsets

This section spells out some further corollaries of Theorem 3.
Regenerative partition structures

Next, after spelling out (2.1), reducing the (apparently longer) list of equations to a minimal one, and then writing and organizing them in a convenient way, we arrive at the following (in local coordinates, the equations bellow also appear in ).
Generalized complex structures and Lie brackets

This expansion can be spelled down physically as follows.
Can one tell Einstein's unimodular theory from Einstein's general relativity?

Usage in literature

He broke the spell; she sank from the poet into the embarrassed woman. "Robert Elsmere" by Mrs. Humphry Ward

Then a magic spell overpowered her, and she swam on and on vainly seeking to rise above the waters, but always unable to do so. "Finnish Legends for English Children" by R. Eivind

The spell that holds it fast is the all-potent spell of the Wizard of the Cave. "The Shadow Witch" by Gertrude Crownfield

It was a class in spelling. "Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States from Interviews with Former Slaves, Arkansas Narratives, Part 4" by Work Projects Administration

I am one of little note, and my name not worth the spelling. "Traditions of Lancashire, Volume 2 (of 2)" by John Roby

It was Saturday noon, and the fourth class was spelling. "Little Grandfather" by Sophie May

I never heard a word spelled in that way. "In The Boyhood of Lincoln" by Hezekiah Butterworth

So I think I'd better learn that summoning spell first. "Zeta Exchange" by Ann Wilson

During this, their first spell by the trail, Stonor was highly amused to watch Clare's way with Mary. "The Woman from Outside" by Hulbert Footner

Spelling gave him more trouble. "Lola" by Henny Kindermann

Usage in poetry
"She charms him with her great blue eyes,
She binds him with her hair;
Oh, break the spell with holy words,
Unbind him with a prayer!"
Not alone do thy glorious sunsets,
Nor thy trees of a thousand dyes,
But all touch my heart with thy sweet spell,
Oh, earth, and air, and skies.
Well, be it so !—the charm is o'er
Which long hath bound me with its spell;
My thoughts shall never waken more
In tenderness for thee—Farewell!
I could have loved you -- oh, so well! --
The dream, that wishing boyhood knows,
Is but a bright, beguiling spell,
That only lives while passion glows.
I have lost the spell that my verse could weave
O'er the souls of the old and young,
And never again -- how it makes me grieve --
Shall I sing as once I sung.
See--the gold and blue of our yesterday
In the eyes and the hair of a child at play;
And the spell of joy that our youth beguiled
Is woven anew in the laugh of the child.