SPELL | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary
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English (US)

Meaning of spell in English

spell
verb
us
/spel/ uk
/spel/

spell verb (FORM WORDS)

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A2 [ I or T ] spelled or UK also spelt | spelled or UK also spelt
to form a word or words with the letters in the correct order:
How do you spell receive?
Shakespeare did not always spell his own name the same way.
spell something (out) Our address is 1520 Main Street, Albuquerque. Should I spell that (out) (= say in the correct order the letters that form the word) for you?
I think it's important that children should be taught to spell.
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SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
Writing & typing
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spell verb (RESULT)

spell disaster, trouble, etc.
to cause something bad to happen in the future:
The new regulations could spell disaster for small businesses.
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spell verb (DO INSTEAD)

[ T ] mainly US spelled | spelled
to do something that someone else would usually be doing, especially in order to allow them to rest:
You've been driving for a while - do you want me to spell you?
SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
Replacing and exchanging
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Phrasal verb

spell something out
spell
noun [ C ]
us
/spel/ uk
/spel/

spell noun [C] (PERIOD)

a period of time for which an activity or condition lasts continuously:
for a spell I lived in Cairo for a spell.
have a spell as She had a brief spell as captain of the team.
dizzy spell I keep having/getting dizzy spells (= periods of feeling as if I'm turning around).
a short period of a particular type of weather:
a spell of dry weather
The weather report is for dry, sunny spells.
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SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
Periods of time - general words
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

spell noun [C] (DO INSTEAD)

US
a period when you do something that someone else would usually be doing, especially in order to allow them to rest:
spells (with) If we take spells (with) doing the painting, it won't seem like such hard work.
SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
Replacing and exchanging
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spell noun [C] (MAGIC)

spoken words that are thought to have magical power, or (the condition of being under) the influence or control of such words:
cast/put a spell on The witch cast/put a spell on the prince and he turned into a frog.
break the spell A beautiful girl would have to kiss him to break (= stop) the spell.
under a spell Sleeping Beauty lay under the wicked fairy's spell until the prince woke her with a kiss.
SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
Magic
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Idiom

be under someone's spell
(Definition of spell from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

spell | Intermediate English

spell
verb
us
/spel/

spell verb (FORM WORDS)

Add to word list Add to word list
[ I/T ]
to form a word or words with the letters in the correct order:
[ I ] As a child he never learned to spell.
[ T ] Send it to Dr. Mikolajczyk – I’ll spell that name for you (= say the letters that form the word).

spell verb (RESULT)

[ T ]
to have usually something unpleasant as a result:
This cold weather could spell trouble for gardeners.

Phrasal verbs

spell something out
spell something out
spell
noun [ C ]
us
/spel/

spell noun [C] (PERIOD)

a period of time during which an activity or condition lasts:
a spell of wet weather
She lived in London for a short spell in the 1980s.

spell noun [C] (POWER)

a magic power produced by speaking a set of words or taking a specific set of actions:
He was placed under a spell that could be broken only when the princess kissed him.
(Definition of spell from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of spell

spell
Even when the word "dollar" was spelled out, it triggered the "pain-of-paying" response.
From Fast Company
This doesn't quite spell trouble for the company, though.
From Los Angeles Times
Earth spells allow you to grow the number of cards in your or another player's hand or deck.
From Ars Technica
Falling under its spell can change a person's life.
From Washington Times
Getting in verbal arguments with his ex will spell disaster for the situation.
From Huffington Post
One would think that something so basic wouldn't need to be spelled out, but it does!
From Washington Post
We felt cursed with no control to break the evil spell.
From CNN
Add up the years each has been coming to "set a spell" on the green vinyl stools and you'll pass the century mark.
From Minneapolis Star Tribune
And so, it was with a heavy heart that she conducted the spell to send him on.
From Huffington Post
But, really, it is, because it's a one-source place to look up how to spell the current political terminology.
From NPR
She can also learn a few skills of her own, most of which will add bonuses for your avatar, like added spell power or defense.
From VentureBeat
They spelled out the challenges facing the program in detail, and called for changes.
From The Atlantic
Being unaware or unprepared for any of these things could spell trouble down the line.
From CNBC
A claim delayed by even a month can spell financial disaster for a family.
From Huffington Post
The new plan doesn't spell out how this water can be shared.
From The Denver Post
These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.

Collocations with spell

spell

These are words often used in combination with spell.

Click on a collocation to see more examples of it.

brief spell
It has become farcical when water authorities have had to ask for water conservation after a brief spell of summer weather.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0
cold spell
We were determined that pensioners should not be fearful of turning up their heating if a cold spell occurred.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0
dizzy spell
He died at age eighty-four after collapsing in his barn, after either a heart attack or dizzy spell.
From
Wikipedia
This example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.
These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.
See all collocations with spell
What is the pronunciation of spell?
 

Translations of spell

in Chinese (Traditional)
構成單詞, 用字母拼, 拼寫…
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in Chinese (Simplified)
构成单词, 用字母拼, 拼写…
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in Spanish
deletrear, período, hechizo…
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in Portuguese
soletrar, período, encantamento…
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in Ukrainian
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in Italian
स्पेलिंग लिहिणे / शब्दाचे घटकवर्ण अनुक्रमाने करणे जेणेकरून तो शब्द तयार होतो…
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（字を）つづる, スペルを言う, （字を）正しく書く…
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hecelemek, harf harf söylemek, yazım kurallarına göre yazmak…
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écrire, orthographier, épeler…
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lletrejar, escriure, període…
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spellen, de spelling zijn van, betekenen…
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சரியான வரிசையில் எழுத்துக்களைக் கொண்டு ஒரு சொல் அல்லது வார்த்தைகளை உருவாக்குதல்…
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वर्तनी लिखना, सही क्रम में किसी शब्द/दों को लिखना…
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શબ્દરચના, જોડણી…
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stave, sige, betyde…
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stava, stavas, betyda…
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mengeja, menandakan, jampi…
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buchstabieren, ergeben, bedeuten…
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stave, tyde på, bære bud om…
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ہجے کرنا…
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вимовляти по літерах, читати по складах, утворювати…
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произносить или писать слово по буквам, писать орфографически правильно, промежуток времени…
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అక్షరాలు రాయడం…
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يَتَهَجّى, مُدّة, فَتْرَة…
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বানান, সঠিক ক্রমে অক্ষর দিয়ে একটি শব্দ বা শব্দ গঠন করা…
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hláskovat, dávat, znát pravopis…
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mengeja, membentuk kata, berarti…
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อ่านสะกดคำ, จัดเรียงคำ, สะกดคำ…
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đánh vần, viết theo chính tả, viết vần…
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przeliterować, pisać (bez błędów ), okres…
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철자를 말하다, 철자를 맞게 쓰다, 한동안…
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compitare, scrivere (correttamente), periodo…
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speedwell
speedy
speleologist
speleology
spell
spell check
spell disaster, trouble, etc. phrase
spell something out
spell trouble idiom
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