Spell \Spell\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Spelledor 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.]
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Might I that legend find,
By fairies spelt in mystic rhymes. --T. Warton.
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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.
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He was much spelled with Eleanor Talbot. --Sir G.
Buck.
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3. To constitute; to measure. [Obs.]
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The Saxon heptarchy, when seven kings put together
did spell but one in effect. --Fuller.
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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.
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The word "satire" ought to be spelled with i, and
not with y. --Dryden.
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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.
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To spell out a God in the works of creation.
--South.
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To sit spelling and observing divine justice upon
every accident. --Milton.
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