From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Spell \Spell\, verb (used with an object) [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.]
Might I that legend find, By fairies spelt in mystic rhymes. --T. Warton.
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.
He was much spelled with Eleanor Talbot. --Sir G. Buck.
3. To constitute; to measure. [Obs.]
The Saxon heptarchy, when seven kings put together did spell but one in effect. --Fuller.
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.
The word ''satire'' ought to be spelled with i, and not with y. --Dryden.
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.
To spell out a God in the works of creation. --South.
To sit spelling and observing divine justice upon every accident. --Milton.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Spell \Spell\, verb (used with an object) [imp. & p. p. {Spelled}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Spelling}.] [AS. spelian to supply another's place.] To supply the place of for a time; to take the turn of, at work; to relieve; as, to spell the helmsman.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Spelling \Spell"ing\, noun The act of one who spells; formation of words by letters; orthography.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Spelling \Spell"ing\, adjective Of or pertaining to spelling.
{Spelling bee}, a spelling match. [U.S.]
{Spelling book}, a book with exercises for teaching children to spell; a speller.
{Spelling match}, a contest of skill in spelling words, between two or more persons.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
noun
1: forming words with letters according to the principles underlying accepted usage
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