I. ˈspelt noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English, from Late Latin spelta, of Germanic origin; akin to Middle High German & Middle Dutch spelte split piece of wood, Old High German spaltan to split; probably from the splitting of the husk during threshing — more at spill
: a wheat ( Triticum spelta ) that is of no commercial importance in America but is grown to some extent in Germany and Switzerland and that has lax spikes with spikelets containing two light red kernels — called also speltz ; compare emmer
II.
chiefly Britain
past of spell