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
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 The Brazilian has recently returned from a spell on the sidelines through injury during which 16-year-old Lamine shone with a string of goals and assists. Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024 The best anti-colic bottles reduce the amount of air your baby swallows while drinking milk to prevent painful gas from forming in their tummy, which is thought to be a trigger of those relentless colic crying spells. Laura Lu, Ms, Parents, 19 Feb. 2024 In a painful stroke of irony, the United States would respond in part with a spell of infamy of its own. Cynthia Teniente-Matson, The Mercury News, 17 Feb. 2024 Monsters, spells, an epic journey — all the hallmarks of the genre audiences expect. Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 26 Feb. 2024 Yet some might have seen the weather forecast and decided on spending their afternoon elsewhere in one of Europe's cultural capitals, and there were spells of the game were those in situ left their seats to take cover through intervals of heavy rain. Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024 Well, unfortunately for this actor, the spell has now been broken. Dalton Ross, EW.com, 20 Feb. 2024
Verb
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 Sora is now available to a small number of researchers and creatives who will test the model before a broader public release, which could spell disaster for the film industry and our collective deepfake problem. Maxwell Zeff / Gizmodo, Quartz, 16 Feb. 2024 What was less expected was the justices’ concern with the practical consequences of allowing states to disqualify presidential candidates under the 14th Amendment, which could spell chaos for federal elections. Robert J. Delahunty, National Review, 14 Feb. 2024 Iger spelled it out: Among consumers under 30, the amount of time being spent with games is comparable to traditional film or TV. Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Feb. 2024 Bitcoin and other crypto investments have typically spelled financial disaster for ordinary investors. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024 The combination of a coming La Nina and an already warm ocean likely spells an active season, McNoldy said. Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2024 Here again this theme of a devouring likeness resurfaces, the twin that spells death. Aatish Taseer, New York Times, 12 Feb. 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 19 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

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