Spell , v. i.

1. To form words with letters, esp. with the proper letters, either orally or in writing.

When what small knowledge was, in them did dwell, And he a god, who could but read or spell. Dryden.

2. To study by noting characters; to gain knowledge or learn the meaning of anything, by study. [Obs.]

Where I may sit and rightly spell Of every star that heaven doth shew, And every herb that sips the dew. Milton.

Spell ", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Spelled (?); p. pr. & vb. n.Spelling.] [AS. spelian to supply anothers place.] To supply the place of for a time; to take the turn of, at work; to relieve; as, to spell the helmsman."

Spell (?), n. [OE. speld, AS. speld a spill to light a candle with; akin to D. speld a pin, OD. spelle, G. spalten to split, OHG. spaltan, MHG. spelte a splinter, Icel. spjald a square tablet, Goth. spilda a writing tablet. Cf. Spillsplinter, roll of paper, Spell to tell the letters of.] A spelk, or splinter. [Obs.] Holland.

Spell (?), n.[AS. spell a saying, tale, speech; akin to OS. & OHG. spel, Icel. spjall,Goth. spill. Cf. Gospel, Spell to tell the letters of.]

1. A story; a tale. [Obs.] "Hearken to my spell." Chaucer.

2. A stanza, verse, or phrase supposed to be endowed with magical power; an incantation; hence, any charm.

Start not; her actions shall be holy as You hear my spell is lawful. Shak.

Spell , v. t. [imp. & p. p. Spelled (?) or Spelt (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Spelling.] [OE. spellen, spellien, tell, relate, AS. spellian, fr. spell a saying, tale; akin to MHG. spellen to relate, Goth. spill?n.e Spell a tale. In sense 4 and those following, OE. spellen, perhaps originally a different word, and from or influenced by spell a splinter, from the use of a piece of wood to point to the letters in schools: cf. D. spellen to spell. Cf. Spell splinter.]

1. To tell; to relate; to teach. [Obs.]

Might I that legend find, By fairies spelt in mystic rhymes. T. Warton.

2. To put under the influence of a spell; to affect by a spell; to bewitch; to fascinate; to charm. "Spelled with words of power." Dryden.

He was much spelled with Eleanor Talbot. Sir G. Buck.

3. To constitute; to measure. [Obs.]

The Saxon heptarchy, when seven kings put together did spell but one in effect. Fuller.

4. To tell or name in their proper order letters of, as a word; to write or print in order the letters of, esp. the proper letters; to form, as words, by correct orthography.

The word "satire" ought to be spelled with i, and not with y. Dryden.

5. To discover by characters or marks; to read with difficulty; -- usually with out; as, to spell out the sense of an author; to spell out a verse in the Bible.

To spell out a God in the works of creation. South.

To sit spelling and observing divine justice upon every accident. Milton.

Spell , n.

1. The relief of one person by another in any piece of work or watching; also, a turn at work which is carried on by one person or gang relieving another; as, a spell at the pumps; a spell at the masthead.

A spell at the wheel is called a trick. Ham. Nav. Encyc.

2. The time during which one person or gang works until relieved; hence, any relatively short period of time, whether a few hours, days, or weeks.

Nothing new has happened in this quarter, except the setting in of a severe spell of cold weather. Washington.

3. One of two or more persons or gangs who work by spells. [R.]

Their toil is so extreme that they can not endure it above four hours in a day, but are succeeded by spells. Garew.

"4. A gratuitous helping forward of anothers work; as, a logging spell. [Local, U.S.]"

-- Webster's unabridged 1913