spelt

S1P3E1L1T1
/ˈspɛlt/

noun

A grain, considered either a subspecies of wheat, Triticum aestivum subsp. spelta, or a separate species Triticum spelta or Triticum dicoccon.

Similar
dinkelTriticum speltaTriticum aestivum spelta
OriginMiddle English spelde →
Less commonScrabble 7
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Meanings

spelt1

verb

alternative spelled

  1. UKparticiplepastsimple past and past participle of spell

    Yes, yes; he teaches boys the hornbook. What is a, b, spelt / backward with the horn on his head?

    c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Loues Labour’s Lost”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]

spelt2

nounspelt (usually uncountable, plural spelts)

plural spelts

  1. uncountableusuallyA grain, considered either a subspecies of wheat, Triticum aestivum subsp. spelta, or a separate species Triticum spelta or Triticum dicoccon.

    Synonyms: dinkel

spelt3

nounspelt (plural spelts)

plural spelts

  1. Northern EnglandScotlanddialectalA thin piece of wood or metal; a splinter.
  2. artsSpelter.
adjectivespelt (not comparable)
  1. not comparableobsoleterareOf dried beans: pounded, crushed, or split.

    [H]alfe an houre after give him a pottell of Oates and a pinte of ſpelt Beanes, then a ſmall bottel of Hay: […]

    1631, Garvase Markham, “The Third Booke: Of Feeding, Breeding, and Curing. of Cattell. […]”, in The Whole Art of Husbandry Contained in Foure Bookes. […], London: […] T. C. for Richard More, […], →OCLC, page 226
    3 more examples

    The next day very early as may be, firſt feed, then dreſſe, after cloath and ſaddle, then ayre him abroad, and water him as hath been before ſhewed, after bring him home, and feed him with oats, ſpelt beans, and bread, as was laſt of all declared, onely very little Hay, […]

    a. 1638, G[ervase] Markam, “Ordering of the Horse after His Scowring”, in The Complete Farriar, or The Kings High-Way to Horsmanship. […], London: […] I. D[awson] for R. Young, and are sold by P[hilip] Nevill […], published 1639, →OCLC, page 53

    Theſe loaves baked and cooled, after three days cut off the Cruſt, and with Oats well dryed and rubbed between your hands, being alſo winnowed and ſifted, and a quantity of the beſt ſpelt Beans; […]

    1684, “Rules to be Observed in the Fourth or Last Fortnights Keeping, as Well in Relation to His Dyet as Usage”, in The Experienced Jocky, Compleat Horseman; or Gentlemans Delight. […], London: […] Will[iam] Whitwood, […], →OCLC, page 72

    In Summer, in Choleric Fevers eſpecially, let him feed upon things effectually cold, as Vine-buds, Willow-leaves, Pond-reeds, Dog-graſs, Endive and Lettuce; in the Winter, Hay ſprinkl’d with Honey, Spelt Beans, and Oates, never giving ’em either Barly or Straw in Fevers, which will but harden the dung, and make it difficult to paſs through the Bowels.

    1687, F. M., “Of a Fever”, in The Jockey’s Guide, and Farrier’s Companion: […], London: […] Henry Rhodes, […], →OCLC, page 76
verbspelt (third-person singular simple present spelts, present participle spelting, simple past and past participle spelted)

present singular third person spelts · participle present spelting · participle past spelted · past spelted

  1. obsoletetransitiveTo grind or crush (grain or pulses).

    spelted Beans

    1707, J[ohn] Mortimer, The Whole Art of Husbandry; or, The Way of Managing and Improving of Land. […], London: […] J[ohn] H[umphreys] for H[enry] Mortlock […], and J[onathan] Robinson […], →OCLC

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA grain, considered either a subspecies of wheat, Triticum aestivum subsp. spelta, or a separate species Triticum spelta or Triticum dicoccon.

Similar
dinkel

More synonyms by meaning

nounhardy wheat grown mostly in Europe for livestock feed

Similar
Triticum speltaTriticum aestivum spelta
Broader
wheat
Also see
dinkelgerman wheat

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

spelt · verb

  1. Middle Englishspelde
  2. Englishspelt

From Late Middle English spelde (past tense) and spelled, ispeled, ispelled (past participles). The past tense reflects an early Middle English syncopation of spellede, while the past participle remained largely disyllabic until the general Early Modern English reduction of the -ed suffix. In both cases, once the medial vowel was lost, the final alveolar stop underwent phonetic devoicing after the sonorant /l/, resulting in the modern -t spelling. Compare dwelt, felt, and smelt. By surface analysis, spell + -t.

More words from Middle English

Full word history & related roots →

spelt · noun

  1. Proto-Germanic*spiltaz“spelt”
  2. Frankish*spelta“spelt”
  3. Late Latinspelta“spelt”
  4. Old Saxonspelta“spelt”
  5. Old Englishspelt“spelt, corn”
  6. Middle Englishspelt
  7. Englishspelt

From Middle English spelt, from Old English spelt (“spelt, corn”), from Old Saxon spelta (“spelt”); or from Late Latin spelta (“spelt”), from Frankish *spelta (“spelt”); all from Proto-Germanic *spiltaz (“spelt”).

More words from Middle English, Old English, Old Saxon

Full word history & related roots →

spelt · noun, adjective, verb

  1. Middle Englishspelt
  2. Old Englishspelt
  3. Middle Englishspelt
  4. Englishspelt

The noun is from Middle English spelt, from Old English spelt, connected with the verb. Compare speld and German Spelze (“husk”). The adjective is from Middle English spelt, probably a contraction of spelked, past participle of spelken (“to bruise (beans)”), itself of obscure origin. Compare Scots spilkings (“split peas”), the later verb, and perhaps also splet. The verb is probably from the adjective. Compare earlier spald, speld.

More words from Middle English, Old English

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek ὄλυρα
  • ὄλυρα (ólura)a type of wheat, Triticum aestivum spelta
Basque espelta
  • espeltaa type of wheat, Triticum aestivum spelta
Bulgarian шпелта
  • шпелта (špelta)a type of wheat, Triticum aestivum spelta
Catalan espelta
  • espeltaa type of wheat, Triticum aestivum spelta
Chinese Mandarin 斯卑爾脫小麥 /斯卑尔脱小麦
  • 斯卑爾脫小麥 /斯卑尔脱小麦 (sībēi'ěrtuōxiǎomài)a type of wheat, Triticum aestivum spelta
Czech špalda
  • špaldaa type of wheat, Triticum aestivum spelta
Danish spelt
  • spelta type of wheat, Triticum aestivum spelta
Dutch spelt
  • spelta type of wheat, Triticum aestivum spelta
Esperanto spelto
  • speltoa type of wheat, Triticum aestivum spelta
Estonian speltanisu
  • speltanisua type of wheat, Triticum aestivum spelta
Finnish spelttivehnä, speltti
  • spelttivehnäa type of wheat, Triticum aestivum spelta
  • spelttia type of wheat, Triticum aestivum spelta
French épeautre
  • épeautrea type of wheat, Triticum aestivum spelta
German Dinkel, Spelz
  • Dinkela type of wheat, Triticum aestivum spelta
  • Spelza type of wheat, Triticum aestivum spelta
Greek όλυρα
  • όλυρα (ólyra)a type of wheat, Triticum aestivum spelta
Hebrew כוסמין
  • כוסמיןa type of wheat, Triticum aestivum spelta
Hungarian tönkölybúza
  • tönkölybúzaa type of wheat, Triticum aestivum spelta
Icelandic spelt, speldi
  • spelta type of wheat, Triticum aestivum spelta
  • speldia type of wheat, Triticum aestivum spelta
Irish speilt
  • speilta type of wheat, Triticum aestivum spelta
Italian spelta
  • speltaa type of wheat, Triticum aestivum spelta
Japanese スペルトコムギ
  • スペルトコムギa type of wheat, Triticum aestivum spelta
Latin spelta
  • speltaa type of wheat, Triticum aestivum spelta
Norwegian spelt
  • spelta type of wheat, Triticum aestivum spelta
Persian کندروس, جوگندم
  • کندروس (kondorus)a type of wheat, Triticum aestivum spelta
  • جوگندم (jowgandom)a type of wheat, Triticum aestivum spelta
  • گندم آلمانی (gandom-e âlmâni)a type of wheat, Triticum aestivum spelta
Polish orkisz, szpelc
  • orkisza type of wheat, Triticum aestivum spelta
  • szpelca type of wheat, Triticum aestivum spelta
Portuguese espelta
  • espeltaa type of wheat, Triticum aestivum spelta
Romanian alac
  • alaca type of wheat, Triticum aestivum spelta
Russian по́лба
  • по́лба (pólba)a type of wheat, Triticum aestivum spelta
Spanish espelta, escanda
  • espeltaa type of wheat, Triticum aestivum spelta
  • escandaa type of wheat, Triticum aestivum spelta
Swedish dinkel, spelt
  • dinkela type of wheat, Triticum aestivum spelta
  • spelta type of wheat, Triticum aestivum spelta
Turkish kavuzlu buğday
  • kavuzlu buğdaya type of wheat, Triticum aestivum spelta
Ukrainian спельта
  • спельта (spelʹta)a type of wheat, Triticum aestivum spelta
Welsh sbelt
  • sbelta type of wheat, Triticum aestivum spelta

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with spelt

feltbeltwelteltceltpeltsmeltdeltsvelteveldgeltScheldtkeltunfeltbagel beltClarke beltfull peltswelt
All rhymes →

Anagrams

peltssplet
Cite this entry
APA

spelt. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spelt

MLA

“spelt.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spelt. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “spelt,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spelt.

Source: spelt on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.