Library / English Dictionary

SPELL

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

Irregular inflected form: spelt   

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A verbal formula believed to have magical force

Example:

inscribed around its base is a charm in Balinese

Synonyms:

charm; magic spell; magical spell; spell

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("spell" is a kind of...):

language; oral communication; speech; speech communication; spoken communication; spoken language; voice communication ((language) communication by word of mouth)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "spell"):

conjuration; incantation (a ritual recitation of words or sounds believed to have a magical effect)

curse; hex; jinx; whammy (an evil spell)

Derivation:

spell (place under a spell)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A psychological state induced by (or as if induced by) a magical incantation

Synonyms:

enchantment; spell; trance

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Hypernyms ("spell" is a kind of...):

mental condition; mental state; psychological condition; psychological state ((psychology) a mental condition in which the qualities of a state are relatively constant even though the state itself may be dynamic)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "spell"):

possession (being controlled by passion or the supernatural)

captivation; fascination (the state of being intensely interested (as by awe or terror))

Derivation:

spell (place under a spell)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A period of indeterminate length (usually short) marked by some action or condition

Example:

a patch of bad weather

Synonyms:

patch; piece; spell; while

Classified under:

Nouns denoting time and temporal relations

Hypernyms ("spell" is a kind of...):

time (an indefinite period (usually marked by specific attributes or activities))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "spell"):

cold snap; cold spell (a spell of cold weather)

hot spell (a spell of hot weather)

snap (a spell of cold weather)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A time period for working (after which you will be relieved by someone else)

Example:

a spell of work

Synonyms:

go; spell; tour; turn

Classified under:

Nouns denoting time and temporal relations

Hypernyms ("spell" is a kind of...):

duty period; shift; work shift (the time period during which you are at work)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Take turns working

Example:

the workers spell every four hours

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "spell" is one way to...):

alternate; take turns (do something in turns)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Sense 2

Meaning:

Indicate or signify

Example:

I'm afraid this spells trouble!

Synonyms:

import; spell

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "spell" is one way to...):

intend; mean (mean or intend to express or convey)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Sense 3

Meaning:

Orally recite the letters of or give the spelling of

Example:

We had to spell out our names for the police officer

Synonyms:

spell; spell out

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "spell" is one way to...):

recite (repeat aloud from memory)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "spell"):

misspell (spell incorrectly)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

speller (someone who spells words)

spelling (forming words with letters according to the principles underlying accepted usage)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Place under a spell

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "spell" is one way to...):

bewitch; enchant; glamour; hex; jinx; witch (cast a spell over someone or something; put a hex on someone or something)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Antonym:

unspell (release from a spell)

Derivation:

spell (a verbal formula believed to have magical force)

spell (a psychological state induced by (or as if induced by) a magical incantation)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Write or name the letters that comprise the conventionally accepted form of (a word or part of a word)

Example:

He spelled the word wrong in this letter

Synonyms:

spell; write

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "spell"):

spell out (spell fully and without abbreviating)

hyphen; hyphenate (divide or connect with a hyphen)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

spelling (forming words with letters according to the principles underlying accepted usage)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Relieve (someone) from work by taking a turn

Example:

She spelled her husband at the wheel

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "spell" is one way to...):

relieve; take over (free someone temporarily from his or her obligations)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Credits

 Context examples: 

I never saw anybody in my life spell harder for an invitation.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

They theorized that, during cold spells, people are more likely to seek shelter and so could more easily escape the cold’s effects.

(Extreme temperatures could increase preterm birth risk, NIH)

The combination of prolonged hot spells with poor air quality greatly compounds the negative effects of each and can pose a major risk to human health, according to new research.

(Dangers of Concurrent Heat Waves, Air Pollution, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Depending on when and where they develop, blocking events can cause droughts or downpours and heat waves or cold spells.

(Stalled weather patterns will get bigger due to climate change, National Science Foundation)

These are represented by the letters A, C, G and T. Sometimes, changes occur in the ‘spelling’ of our DNA – an A becomes a G, for example.

(‘Fingerprint database’ could help scientists to identify new cancer culprits, University of Cambridge)

Chemical name. (spell Greek characters and don't use superscript or subscript)

(Chemical Name, Food and Drug Administration)

Cupid and his little fleet of angels will be flying above, creating quite an enchanting spell for you, dear Gemini. Just you wait and see!

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

Everyone scattered like leaves before a gust of wind, and the quiet, happy household was broken up as suddenly as if the paper had been an evil spell.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

The man, the human being, broke the spell at once.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Sometimes he was making progress and whistled and sang at his work; sometimes he was puzzled, and would sit for long spells with a furrowed brow and a vacant eye.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)