Spell

Spell 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.] [1913 Webster]

Might I that legend find, By fairies spelt in mystic rhymes. --T. Warton. [1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster]

He was much spelled with Eleanor Talbot. --Sir G. Buck. [1913 Webster]

3. To constitute; to measure. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]

The Saxon heptarchy, when seven kings put together did spell but one in effect. --Fuller. [1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster]

The word ``satire'' ought to be spelled with i, and not with y. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster]

To spell out a God in the works of creation. --South. [1913 Webster]

To sit spelling and observing divine justice upon every accident. --Milton. [1913 Webster]