I. spell 1 S2 /spel/ BrE AmE verb ( past tense and past participle spelt /spelt/ especially British English or spelled especially American English )
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ spelling , speller., ↑ misspelling ; verb : ↑ spell , ↑ misspell ]
[ Date: 1200-1300 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: espeller ]
1 . [intransitive and transitive] to form a word by writing or naming the letters in order:
How do you spell ‘juice’?
Pupils should know how to spell commonly used words.
spell something wrong/wrongly
You’ve spelled my name wrong.
2 . [transitive not in passive] if letters spell a word, they form it:
B-O-O-K spells ‘book’.
3 . spell trouble/disaster/danger etc if a situation or action spells trouble etc, it makes you expect trouble etc:
The lack of rain could spell disaster for farmers.
4 . [transitive] American English to do someone else’s work for them for a short period so that they can rest:
I can spell you if you get tired.
spell something ↔ out phrasal verb
1 . to explain something clearly and in detail
spell out how/what etc
The report spelled out in detail what the implications were for teacher training.
2 . to show how a word is spelled by writing or saying the letters separately in order:
‘W-E-I-R,’ she said, spelling it out.
3 . to write a word in its complete form instead of using an ↑ abbreviation
II. spell 2 BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Sense 1,3-4: Language: Old English ; Origin: 'talk, story' ]
[ Sense 2: Date: 1600-1700 ; Origin: spell 'to take the place of another' (11-21 centuries) , from Old English spelian ]
1 . a piece of magic that someone does, or the special words or ceremonies used in doing it:
a magic spell
put/cast a spell on somebody (=do a piece of magic to change someone)
The kiss of the prince broke the spell (=stopped the magic from working) .
be under a spell
The whole town seemed to be under a spell.
2 . a period of a particular kind of activity, weather, illness etc, usually a short period
brief/short spell
After a brief spell in the army, I returned to teaching.
spell of
a spell of bad luck
cold/wet/dry spell
Water the young plants carefully during dry spells.
a day of sunny spells and scattered showers
He began to suffer from dizzy spells.
3 . a power that attracts, interests, and influences you very strongly
fall/come/be under a spell
I fell under the spell of her charm.
an ancient city that still casts its spell over travellers
4 . break the spell to make someone stop paying all their attention to something, or to make a time stop feeling special:
He lay still, not wanting to break the spell.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 1)
■ adjectives
▪ a magic spell
She found an ancient book of magic spells.
▪ an evil spell
The people still believe in evil spells.
■ verbs
▪ cast a spell (on somebody) (=do some magic)
Suddenly everyone froze, as if a wizard had cast a spell on them.
▪ weave a spell (=do some magic)
She wove a spell, so that he slept forever and never grew old.
▪ put a spell on somebody (=make magic affect someone)
The fairy put a terrible spell on the princess.
▪ break a spell (=end the effect of some magic)
No one knew how to break the spell.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 2)
■ adjectives
▪ a brief/short spell
After a brief spell in a florist's shop, she became a hairdresser.
▪ a long/prolonged spell
We have just had a long spell of unusually dry weather.
▪ a dry/wet spell
Keep fuchsias well watered during prolonged dry spells in summer.
▪ a cold/warm/hot spell
There was a very cold spell in late November.
▪ sunny spells
Tuesday will be dry with sunny spells.
▪ a dizzy/fainting spell (=one when you feel unable to stand steadily and your head feels unclear)
She must have had a dizzy spell and fallen.
▪ a good/bad spell
The team had some good spells during the match.
▪ a quiet spell (=when not much is happening)
We've had quite a quiet spell at work recently.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ magic noun [uncountable] the power to make impossible things happen, by saying special words or doing special actions:
In the story, she uses magic to turn him into a frog.
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Local people believe that he can heal wounds and illnesses using magic.
▪ witchcraft noun [uncountable] the use of magic, usually to do bad things:
Hundreds of women were accused of witchcraft in the 1600s.
▪ spell noun [countable] a special set of words or actions that are used to make something happen by magic:
a magic spell
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An evil witch cast a spell on him (=said a special set of words or did a special series of actions, in order to make something happen to someone by magic) , turning him into a beast.
▪ curse ( also hex American English ) noun [countable] something that makes someone or something have bad luck:
The house seemed to have a curse on it.
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People believed the pharaoh would put a curse on (=use magic to make them have bad luck) anyone who broke into the tomb.
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She believed her former husband had put a hex on her.
▪ the occult mysterious powers and events that involve magic and spirits:
He was very interested in the occult.
▪ voodoo noun [uncountable] magical beliefs and practices used as a form of religion:
a voodoo curse
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In Haiti, the people still practice voodoo.