Meanings
spell1
plural spells
- Words or a formula supposed to have magical powers.First known use 16th c.
He cast a spell to cure warts.
Synonyms: cantrip, incantation, cantrip, chantment, charm, conjuration, craft, dwimmer
- A magical effect or influence induced by an incantation or formula.First known use 16th c.
under a spell
2 more examples
Skies are not so black / Mary took me back / Mary has broken your spell
1962, Marty Robbins, “Devil Woman”I believe your love has placed its spell on me
2020, Deftones, The Spell of Mathematics
present singular third person spells · participle present spelling · participle past spelled · past spelled
- To put under the influence of a spell; to affect by a spell; to bewitch; to fascinate; to charm.
1697, John Dryden (translator), Georgics, Book 3 in The Works of Virgil, London: Jacob Tonson, p. 109, lines 444-446, This, gather’d in the Planetary Hour, With noxious Weeds, and spell’d with Words of pow’r Dire Stepdames in the Magick Bowl infuse;
3 more examples
Vnchaine your spirits now with spelling Charmes,
1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Sixt”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii], page 115, column 2[…] although the Kings Jealousie was thus particular to her, his Affection was as general to others […] Above all, for a time he was much speld with Elianor Talbot […]
1647, George Buck, The History and Life and Reigne of Richard the Third, London, Book 4, p. 116But when, O Wells! thy roses came to me My sense with their deliciousness was spell’d:
1817, John Keats, “To a Friend who sent me some Roses”, in Poems, London: C. & J. Ollier, page 83Synonyms: bespell, enspell, spellbind, bechat, becry, beglammer, bespell, bewitch
- UKobsoleteslangTo hanker or yearn (for something).
"I have not got a coal ticket with me." "I am sorry you should think I was 'spelling' for a coal ticket," he interrupted; "if such an idea had occurred to me, I should have asked for it straightforwardly."
1892, Thomas Wright, The pinch of poverty, page 81
spell2
present singular third person spells · participle present spelling · participle past spelled · past spelled · UK participle past spelt · UK past spelt
- intransitivesometimestransitiveTo write or say the letters that form a word or part of a word.First known use 16th c.
I find it difficult to spell because I'm dyslexic.
- transitiveOf letters: to compose (a word).First known use 19th c.
The letters “a”, “n” and “d” spell “and”.
2 more examples
In Esperanto each letter has only one sound, and each sound is represented in only one way. The words are pronounced exactly as spelt, every letter being sounded.
2008, Helen Fryer, The Esperanto Teacher, BiblioBazaar, LLC, →ISBN, page 13Welcome to the League Aiming to Menace and Overthrow Spies! You realize that spells “LAMOS”?
2006 March 13, Richard Clark, “The Dream Teens”, in Totally Spies!: Undercover, season 4, episode 1, spoken by Terrence Lewis and Tim Scam (Matt Charles and Michael Gough), Marathon Media, via TeletoonSynonyms: comprise
- figurativelytransitiveTo clarify; to explain in detail.First known use 20th c.
Please spell it out for me.
1 more example
When we get elected, for instance, we get one of these, and we are pretty much told what is in it, and it is our responsibility to read it and understand it, and if we do not, the Ethics Committee, we can call them any time of day and ask them to spell it out for us[…]
2003, U.S. Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbel, Hearing before the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, →ISBN - To constitute; to measure.
the Saxon heptarchy, when seven kings put together did spell but one in effect
1655, Thomas Fuller, The Church-history of Britain; […], London: […] Iohn Williams […], →OCLC, (please specify |book=I to XI) - obsoleteTo tell; to relate; to teach.
1770, Thomas Warton, “Ode on the Approach of Summer” in A Collection of Poems in Four Volumes, London: G. Pearch, Volume 1, p. 278, As thro’ the caverns dim I wind, Might I that legend find, By fairies spelt in mystic rhymes,
- entertainmentTo notate or indicate a pitch, interval, or chord using a particular enharmonic spelling.
The way you spell a chord reflects its harmonic function.
2 more examples
The note D♭ is spelled differently from C♯, even though they sound equivalent.
A dominant seventh chord is spelled with a diminished seventh interval, not a major sixth.
spell3
present singular third person spells · participle present spelling · participle past spelled · past spelled · participle past spelt · past spelt
- transitiveTo work in place of (someone).
to spell the helmsman
- transitiveTo rest (someone or something), to give someone or something a rest or break.
They spelled the horses and rested in the shade of some trees near a brook.
- colloquialintransitiveTo rest from work for a time.
plural spells
- A shift (of work); (rare) a set of workers responsible for a specific turn of labour.First known use 16th c.
- informalA definite period (of work or other activity).First known use 18th c.
I had a job in the great North Woods / Workin' as a cook for a spell / But I never did like it all that much / And one day the ax just fell
1975, Bob Dylan, “Tangled Up in Blue”2 more examples
A chap named Eleazir Kendrick and I had chummed in together the summer afore and built a fish-weir and shanty at Setuckit Point, down Orham way. For a spell we done pretty well. Then there came a reg'lar terror of a sou'wester same as you don't get one summer in a thousand, and blowed the shanty flat and ripped about half of the weir poles out of the sand.
1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter I, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLCDespite his ill-fated spell at Anfield, he received a warm reception from the same Liverpool fans he struggled to win over before being sacked midway through last season.
2012 April 22, Sam Sheringham, “Liverpool 0-1 West Brom”, in BBC Sport - colloquialAn indefinite period of time (usually with a qualifier); by extension, a relatively short distance.First known use 18th c.
[...] Class 37s became synonymous with the depot, and over the years more than a third of the class had a spell allocated to the shed.
2020 June 17, John Crosse, “Thornaby's traction transition”, in Rail, page 652 more examples
Even Mrs. Harker seems to lose sight of her trouble for whole spells. [...] When he had spoken, Mina's long spell of silence made me look at her.
1897, Bram Stoker, chapter 24, in Dracula, HTML editionSo after a short spell in the brass foundry the wisest course was to follow with a similar period in the steel foundry, where much important work was done, including the manufacture of centres for wheels.
1944 November and December, A Former Pupil, “Some Memories of Crewe Works—II”, in Railway Magazine, page 343 - A period of rest; time off.First known use 19th c.
- UScolloquialA period of illness, or sudden interval of bad spirits, disease etc.First known use 19th c.
spell4
Spell5
Synonyms & antonyms
nounWords or a formula supposed to have magical powers.
verbTo put under the influence of a spell; to affect by a spell; to bewitch; to fascinate; to charm.
verbOf letters: to compose (a word).
verbTo indicate that (some event) will occur; typically followed by a single-word noun.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna psychological state induced by (or as if induced by) a magical incantation
nouna time period for working (after which you will be relieved by someone else)
nouna period of indeterminate length (usually short) marked by some action or condition
nouna verbal formula believed to have magical force
verbwrite or name the letters that comprise the conventionally accepted form of (a word or part of a word)
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
spell · noun, verb
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰel-“to speak, to sound”
- Proto-Indo-European*(s)pel-“to tell”
- Proto-Germanic*spellą“speech, account, tale”
- Old Englishspell“news, story”
- Middle Englishspell
- Englishspell
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”).
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-Germanic
Full word history & related roots →spell · verb
- Proto-Germanic*spellōną“to speak”
- Old Englishspellian“to tell, speak”
- Frankish*spelōn
- Old Frenchespeller
- Anglo-Normanespeler
- Middle Englishspellen
- Englishspell
From Middle English spellen, from Anglo-Norman espeler, espeleir, Old French espeller, espeler (compare Modern French épeler), from Frankish *spelōn, merged with native Old English spellian (“to tell, speak”), both eventually from Proto-Germanic *spellōną (“to speak”). Related with etymology 1. The sense “indicate a future event” probably in part a backformation from forespell (literally “to tell in advance”).
More words from Middle English, Anglo-Norman, Old French
Full word history & related roots →spell · verb, noun
- Old Englishspelian“to represent, take or stand in the place of another, act as a representative of another”
- Middle Englishspelen
- Englishspell
From Middle English spelen, from Old English spelian (“to represent, take or stand in the place of another, act as a representative of another”), akin to Middle English spale (“a rest or break”), Old English spala (“representative, substitute”).
More words from Middle English, Old English
Full word history & related roots →spell · noun
- Old Norse[Term?]
- Middle Englishspel“a thin piece of wood”
- Englishspell
From Middle English spel (“a thin piece of wood”), from Old Norse [Term?].
More words from Middle English, Old Norse
Full word history & related roots →Spell · proper noun
From the German surname, perhaps related to Speller.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans towerspreuk
- towerspreukmagical incantation
Ancient Greek ἐπαοιδή, ἐπῳδή
- ἐπαοιδή (epaoidḗ)magical incantation
- ἐπῳδή (epōidḗ)magical incantation
- κήλημα (kḗlēma)magical incantation
- μάγευμα (mágeuma)magical incantation
- ἐπιγράφω (epigráphō)to compose a word
Arabic تَعْوِيذَة, هَجَّى
- تَعْوِيذَة (taʕwīḏa)magical incantation
- هَجَّى (hajjā)to write or say the letters that form a word
- تَهَجَّى (tahajjā)to write or say the letters that form a word
- هَجَّى (hajjā)to compose a word
- تَهَجَّى (tahajjā)to compose a word
Basque letreiatu
- letreiatuto write or say the letters that form a word
Bulgarian заклинание, обаяние
- заклинание (zaklinanie)magical incantation
- обаяние (obajanie)magical effect of such incantation
- омагьосван (omagjosvan)put under the influence of a spell
- замествам (zamestvam)to work in place of someone
- давам почивка (davam počivka)To give somebody or something rest
- кратко време (kratko vreme)indefinite period of time
Catalan encís, conjur
- encísmagical incantation
- conjurmagical incantation
- embruixamentmagical incantation
- encantamentmagical incantation
- encísmagical effect of such incantation
- conjurmagical effect of such incantation
- embruixamentmagical effect of such incantation
- encantamentmagical effect of such incantation
- lletrejarto write or say the letters that form a word
- lletrejarto compose a word
Chinese Cantonese 串
- 串 (cyun³)to write or say the letters that form a word
Chinese Mandarin 咒語 /咒语, 咒文
- 咒語 /咒语 (zhòuyǔ)magical incantation
- 咒文 (zhòuwén)magical incantation
- 拼 (pīn)to write or say the letters that form a word
- 拼寫 /拼写 (pīnxiě)to write or say the letters that form a word
- 拼字 (pīnzì)to write or say the letters that form a word
- 拼 (pīn)to compose a word
- 拼字 (pīnzǐ)to compose a word
- 陣 /阵 (zhèn)indefinite period of time
Czech kouzlo, zaříkadlo
- kouzlomagical incantation
- zaříkadlomagical incantation
- zaklínadlomagical incantation
- kouzlomagical effect of such incantation
- začarovatput under the influence of a spell
- hláskovatto write or say the letters that form a word
- tvořitto compose a word
Danish fortryllelse, besværgelse
- fortryllelsemagical incantation
- besværgelsemagical incantation
- staveto write or say the letters that form a word
- staveto compose a word
Dutch toverspreuk, betovering
- toverspreukmagical incantation
- betoveringmagical effect of such incantation
- spellento write or say the letters that form a word
- spellento compose a word
- betekenento indicate that some future event will occur
- invallen voorto work in place of someone
Esperanto sorĉo, literumi
- sorĉomagical incantation
- literumito write or say the letters that form a word
- literumito compose a word
Estonian loits, veerima
- loitsmagical incantation
- veerimato compose a word
Finnish loitsu, lumous
- loitsumagical incantation
- lumousmagical effect of such incantation
- kirousmagical effect of such incantation
- tavatato write or say the letters that form a word
- kirjoittaato write or say the letters that form a word
- muodostaato compose a word
- selventääfiguratively, to clarify
- vääntää rautalangastafiguratively, to clarify
- tietääto indicate that some future event will occur
- merkitäto indicate that some future event will occur
- olla sijaisenato work in place of someone
- korvatato work in place of someone
- tuuratato work in place of someone
- lepuuttaaTo give somebody or something rest
- jaksoindefinite period of time
- purkausperiod of illness, outburst of bad spirits
French charme, maléfice
- charmemagical incantation
- maléficemagical incantation
- sortmagical incantation
- sortmagical incantation
- formule magiquemagical incantation
- charmemagical effect of such incantation
- maléficemagical effect of such incantation
- sortmagical effect of such incantation
- épelerto write or say the letters that form a word
- épelerto compose a word
- momentindefinite period of time
- épisodeindefinite period of time
German Zauberspruch, Zauberformel
- Zauberspruchmagical incantation
- Zauberformelmagical incantation
- Zauberwortmagical incantation
- Zaubermagical effect of such incantation
- verzaubernput under the influence of a spell
- schreibento write or say the letters that form a word
- buchstabierento write or say the letters that form a word
- bildento compose a word
- ergebento compose a word
- klarmachenfiguratively, to clarify
- entziffernfiguratively, to clarify
- auf gut Deutsch gesagtfiguratively, to clarify
- bedeutento indicate that some future event will occur
- vorhersagento indicate that some future event will occur
- abwechselnto work in place of someone
- vertretento work in place of someone
- kurze Periodeindefinite period of time
- Weileindefinite period of time
- Weilchenindefinite period of time
- Zeitdauerindefinite period of time
Greek ξόρκι, γράφω ορθογραφημένα
- ξόρκι (xórki)magical incantation
- γράφω ορθογραφημένα (gráfo orthografiména)to write or say the letters that form a word
- συλλαβίζω (syllavízo)to write or say the letters that form a word
- γράφω ορθογραφημένα (gráfo orthografiména)to compose a word
- συνεπάγομαι (synepágomai)to indicate that some future event will occur
- περίοδος (períodos)indefinite period of time
Hawaiian pela, pela
- pelato write or say the letters that form a word
- pelato compose a word
- hoʻokuʻito compose a word
Hebrew כִּשּׁוּף, לַחַשׁ
- כִּשּׁוּף (kishúf)magical incantation
- לַחַשׁ (láẖash)magical incantation
- איית (iyét)to write or say the letters that form a word
- איית (iyét)to compose a word
Hungarian varázsige, varázs
- varázsigemagical incantation
- varázsmagical effect of such incantation
- varázslatmagical effect of such incantation
- bűbájmagical effect of such incantation
- elvarázsolput under the influence of a spell
- betűzto write or say the letters that form a word
Icelandic galdraþula, álög
- galdraþulamagical incantation
- álögmagical effect of such incantation
- stafato write or say the letters that form a word
- stafsetjato write or say the letters that form a word
- stafato compose a word
Indonesian mantra, mengeja
- mantramagical incantation
- mengejato write or say the letters that form a word
Irish briocht draíochta, ortha
- briocht draíochtamagical incantation
- orthamagical incantation
- piseogmagical incantation
- briocht draíochtamagical effect of such incantation
- draíochtmagical effect of such incantation
- geismagical effect of such incantation
- litrighto write or say the letters that form a word
- litrighto compose a word
- tamallindefinite period of time
- scaitheamhindefinite period of time
- sealindefinite period of time
- rith tinnisperiod of illness, outburst of bad spirits
Italian incantesimo, formula magica
- incantesimomagical incantation
- formula magicamagical incantation
- fatturamagical incantation
- maledizionemagical incantation
- maleficiomagical incantation
- sortilegiomagical incantation
- malocchiomagical incantation
- fatturamagical effect of such incantation
- maleficiomagical effect of such incantation
- scandireto write or say the letters that form a word
- sillabareto write or say the letters that form a word
- compitareto write or say the letters that form a word
- scrivereto write or say the letters that form a word
- compitareto compose a word
- fare lo spellingto compose a word
- sillabareto compose a word
- presagireto indicate that some future event will occur
- vaticinareto indicate that some future event will occur
- rimpiazzareto work in place of someone
- sostituireto work in place of someone
- dare il cambioto work in place of someone
- rilevareto work in place of someone
Japanese 呪文, 綴る
- 呪文 (jumon)magical incantation
- 綴る (tsuzuru)to write or say the letters that form a word
- 綴る (tsuzuru)to compose a word
Korean 주문, 마력
- 주문 (jumun)magical incantation
- 마력 (maryeok)magical incantation
- 철자하다 (cheoljahada)to write or say the letters that form a word
- 철자하다 (cheoljahada)to compose a word
- 의미하다 (uimihada)to indicate that some future event will occur
- 한참 (hancham)indefinite period of time
- 한동안 (handong'an)indefinite period of time
Latin venēficium, cantiō
- venēficiummagical incantation
- cantiōmagical incantation
- incantātiōmagical incantation
- cantāmenmagical incantation
- fascinummagical incantation
- veneficiummagical effect of such incantation
- incantamentummagical effect of such incantation
- fascinummagical effect of such incantation
- fascinatiomagical effect of such incantation
- effascinatiomagical effect of such incantation
- cantiomagical effect of such incantation
- cantamenmagical effect of such incantation
- conscriboto compose a word
Latvian burvju vārdi, burvestība
- burvju vārdimagical incantation
- burvestībamagical effect of such incantation
- uzrakstītto write or say the letters that form a word
- izrunātto write or say the letters that form a word
- nosaukt pa burtiemto compose a word
- aizvietotto work in place of someone
- nomainītto work in place of someone
- īss laika sprīdisindefinite period of time
Malay jampi, mantera
- jampimagical incantation
- manteramagical incantation
- mengejato write or say the letters that form a word
- mengejato compose a word
Māori tātaki, takikupu
- tātakito write or say the letters that form a word
- takikuputo write or say the letters that form a word
- tātaki kuputo write or say the letters that form a word
- tātakito compose a word
- whakakapito work in place of someone
- whakaokiokiTo give somebody or something rest
- tūāmoeindefinite period of time
Norwegian trylleformel, formel
- trylleformelmagical incantation
- formelmagical incantation
- besvergelsemagical incantation
- staveto compose a word
Norwegian Bokmål stave
- staveto write or say the letters that form a word
Persian طلسم, هجی کردن
- طلسمmagical incantation
- هجی کردنto write or say the letters that form a word
- املاء کردنto write or say the letters that form a word
Polish czar, zaklęcie
- czarmagical incantation
- zaklęciemagical incantation
- czarmagical effect of such incantation
- urokmagical effect of such incantation
- zaczarowywaćput under the influence of a spell
- zaczarowaćput under the influence of a spell
- literowaćto write or say the letters that form a word
- przeliterowywaćto write or say the letters that form a word
- przeliterowaćto write or say the letters that form a word
- oznaczaćto compose a word
- literowaćfiguratively, to clarify
- przeliterowywaćfiguratively, to clarify
- przeliterowaćfiguratively, to clarify
- oznaczaćto indicate that some future event will occur
- zastępowaćto work in place of someone
- zastąpićto work in place of someone
- dawać odpocząćTo give somebody or something rest
- dać odpocząćTo give somebody or something rest
- krótki okresindefinite period of time
- chorobaperiod of illness, outburst of bad spirits
Portuguese encantamento, feitiço
- encantamentomagical incantation
- feitiçomagical incantation
- encantomagical effect of such incantation
- encantamentomagical effect of such incantation
- feitiçomagical effect of such incantation
- soletrarto write or say the letters that form a word
- soletrarto compose a word
- preverto indicate that some future event will occur
- pressagiarto indicate that some future event will occur
- vaticinarto indicate that some future event will occur
- renderto work in place of someone
- breve períodoindefinite period of time
- intervaloindefinite period of time
Romanian vrajă, farmec
- vrajămagical incantation
- farmecmagical incantation
- descântecmagical incantation
- descântăturămagical incantation
- farmecmagical effect of such incantation
- literato write or say the letters that form a word
- rostito write or say the letters that form a word
- se scrieto compose a word
- clarificafiguratively, to clarify
- indicato indicate that some future event will occur
- înlocuito work in place of someone
- intervalindefinite period of time
Russian заклина́ние, за́говор
- заклина́ние (zaklinánije)magical incantation
- за́говор (zágovor)magical incantation
- произноси́ть по бу́квам (proiznosítʹ po búkvam)to write or say the letters that form a word
- писа́ть по бу́квам (pisátʹ po búkvam)to compose a word
- пери́од (períod)indefinite period of time
- вре́мя (vrémja)indefinite period of time
- интерва́л (intɛrvál)indefinite period of time
- промежу́ток вре́мени (promežútok vrémeni)indefinite period of time
Scottish Gaelic litrich, ùine
- litrichto compose a word
- ùineindefinite period of time
- spealagindefinite period of time
Spanish hechizo, conjuro
- hechizomagical incantation
- conjuromagical incantation
- ensalmomagical incantation
- payémagical incantation
- gualichomagical incantation
- hechizomagical effect of such incantation
- deletrearto write or say the letters that form a word
- U.S.: espelearto write or say the letters that form a word
- espeletearto write or say the letters that form a word
- grafiarto write or say the letters that form a word
- deletrearto compose a word
- U.S.: espelearto compose a word
- espeletearto compose a word
- grafiarto compose a word
Swahili endeleza
- endelezato write or say the letters that form a word
Swedish trollformel, besvärjelse
- trollformelmagical incantation
- besvärjelsemagical incantation
- trollformelmagical effect of such incantation
- besvärjelsemagical effect of such incantation
- stavato write or say the letters that form a word
- stavato compose a word
- betydato indicate that some future event will occur
Tagalog tawal
- tawalmagical incantation
Thai สะกด, สะกด
- สะกด (sà-gòt)to write or say the letters that form a word
- สะกด (sà-gòt)to compose a word
Turkish büyü, tılsım
- büyümagical incantation
- tılsımmagical incantation
- kodlamakto write or say the letters that form a word
- hecelemekto write or say the letters that form a word
Ukrainian заклина́ння, закля́ття
- заклина́ння (zaklynánnja)magical incantation
- закля́ття (zakljáttja)magical incantation
- ча́ри (čáry)magical effect of such incantation
- закля́ття (zakljáttja)magical effect of such incantation
Urdu منتر, جادو
- منتر (mantar)magical incantation
- جادو (jādū)magical incantation
- سحر (saihir)magical incantation
- ٹونا (tōnā)magical incantation
- ٹوٹکا (ṭōṭkā)magical incantation
Vietnamese thần chú, đánh vần
- thần chúmagical incantation
- đánh vầnto compose a word
Welsh swyn, sillafu
- swynmagical incantation
- sillafuto compose a word
- sbelindefinite period of time
Yiddish אויסלייגן
- אויסלייגן (oysleygn)to write or say the letters that form a word
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with spell
Anagrams
Cite this entry
spell. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spell
“spell.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spell. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “spell,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spell.
Source: spell on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.