spell

1 of 5

verb (1)

spelled ˈspeld How to pronounce spell (audio) ˈspelt How to pronounce spell (audio) ; spelling

transitive verb

1
a(1)
: to name the letters of in order
also : to write or print the letters of in order
(2)
: to write or print the letters of in a particular way
b
: to make up (a word)
What word do these letters spell?
c
: write sense 1b
Catnip is spelled as one word.
2
: to add up to : mean
crop failure was likely to spell stark famineStringfellow Barr
3
: to find out by study : come to understand
often used with out
it requires some pains to spell out those decorationsF. J. Mather
4
: to read slowly and with difficulty
often used with out

intransitive verb

: to form words with letters
teach children to spell
also : to spell words in a certain way
spells the way he speaks

spell

2 of 5

noun (1)

1
a
: a spoken word or form of words held to have magic power
b
: a state of enchantment
2
: a strong compelling influence or attraction

spell

3 of 5

verb (2)

spelled ˈspeld How to pronounce spell (audio) ; spelling

transitive verb

: to put under a spell

spell

4 of 5

noun (2)

1
a
: an indeterminate period of time
waited a spell before advancing
also : a continuous period of time
did a spell in prison
b
: a stretch of a specified type of weather
2
: a period of bodily or mental distress or disorder
a spell of coughing
fainting spells
3
a
: a period spent in a job or occupation
b
chiefly Australia : a period of rest from work, activity, or use
4
a
: one's turn at work
b
archaic : a shift of workers

spell

5 of 5

verb (3)

spelled ˈspeld How to pronounce spell (audio) ; spelling

transitive verb

1
: to take the place of for a time : relieve
we spell each other every two hours
2
: rest

intransitive verb

1
: to work in turns
2
chiefly Australia : to rest from an activity for a time

Examples of spell in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Others seemed modest, enchanted only by the spell of our attention. Carina Del Valle Schorske, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024 China has been battling an extended spell of deflation, with consumer prices flatlining or falling in recent months. Hanna Ziady, CNN, 20 Mar. 2024 That was meant to counter a spell of deflationary trends where people held back on purchases in hopes of lower prices, which led companies to invest less and to cut back on wages. Yuri Kageyama, Quartz, 19 Mar. 2024 The famed cherry blossoms at the Tidal Basin in Washington are one stage from peak bloom after a spell of unseasonably warm weather. Jason Samenow, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 All are right on the water—almost a requirement for summer vacations now, when warm-weather months bring new, record-setting hot spells throughout Europe. Catherine Sabino, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 And in this groundbreaking, immersive production, the ancient trees cast the same magical spell over the audience. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Feb. 2024 But the bureau also included technicians tasked with using spells, perhaps to protect high-ranking people from maladies. Alessandro Poletto, The Conversation, 1 Mar. 2024 Meteorologists warned that the warm spell would not last. Julie Bosman, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2024
Verb
This spells more trouble for Bangladesh, which is firmly on the frontlines of the climate crisis. Laura Paddison, CNN, 22 Mar. 2024 If Apollo succeeds in its bid for just the studios, that could spell the end for Paramount+. Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024 The staging involves clever, restrained use of a screen to spell things out, as if for a PowerPoint presentation. Mary Norris, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024 Aliyah Alpert, a 13-year-old homeschool student, spelled her way through a crowd of more than 500,000 Arizona students to clinch the top prize at the finals. The Arizona Republic, 17 Mar. 2024 Reading Readiness Activity Set Now that my daughter is writing in class, learning to spell is going to be critical to her success. Dorian Smith-Garcia, Parents, 20 Feb. 2024 With Presnell struggling to compliment much more about Blackwell than her teeth, her growing insecurities are sure to spell for trouble as their engagement plays out on the show over the next few weeks. Sadie Bell, Peoplemag, 19 Feb. 2024 Though Crystal didn’t spell it all the way out, history shows that those grudges can range from the professional (Netflix versus the traditional studios) to the personal (actors making seemingly passive-aggressive comments about one another), stemming from the competitive nature of the awards. Fran Hoepfner, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2024 Since then, rotating detachments of Filipino marines have been living on board, hunkering down through tropical heat, typhoons and long spells away from home in a bid to assert territorial rights and prevent any Chinese development there. Rebecca Wright, CNN, 6 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spell.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English, to mean, signify, read by spelling out letters, from Anglo-French espeleir, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English spellian to relate, spell talk

Noun (1)

Middle English, talk, tale, from Old English; akin to Old High German spel talk, tale

Noun (2)

probably alteration of Middle English spale substitute, from Old English spala

Verb (3)

Middle English spelen, from Old English spelian; akin to Old English spala substitute

First Known Use

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 4

Noun (1)

1579, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (2)

circa 1623, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 4b

Verb (3)

1595, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of spell was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near spell

Cite this Entry

“Spell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spell. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

spell

1 of 5 noun
1
a
: a spoken word or form of words believed to have magic power
b
: a state of enchantment
2
: a very strong influence or attraction

spell

2 of 5 verb
: to put under a spell : bewitch

spell

3 of 5 verb
spelled ˈspeld How to pronounce spell (audio) ; spelling
: to take the place of for a time : relieve
if we spell each other we won't get tired

spell

4 of 5 verb
spelled
ˈspeld,
ˈspelt
; spelling
1
a
: to name, write, or print the letters of in order
b
: to be the letters of
"c-a-t" spells "cat"
2
: to amount to : mean
what you do could spell the difference between life and death
that usually spells trouble

spell

5 of 5 noun
1
: one's turn at work or duty
2
: a period spent in a job or occupation
3
a
: a short period of time
b
: a stretch of a specified type of weather
a hot spell
4
: a period of bodily or mental distress or disorder : attack, fit
a spell of coughing
fainting spells
Etymology

Noun

Old English spell "talk, tale"

Verb

Old English spelian "to take the place of, relieve"

Verb

Middle English spellen "to mean, signify, read by spelling out letters," from early French espeleir (same meaning); of Germanic origin

Noun

probably an altered form of Old English spale "a substitute"; the spelling probably influenced in Middle English by the similar word spelen "to substitute for, relieve"

Medical Definition

spell

noun
: a period of bodily or mental distress or disorder
a spell of coughing
fainting spells

More from Merriam-Webster on spell

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