1. [n]  a verbal formula believed to have magical force; "he whispered a spell as he moved his hands"; "inscribed around its base is a charm in Balinese"
2. [n]  a time for working (after which you will be relieved by someone else); "it's my go"; "a spell of work"
3. [n]  a psychological state induced by (or as if induced by) a magical incantation
4. [n]  a period of indeterminate length (usually short) marked by some action or condition; "he was here for a little while"; "I need to rest for a piece"; "a spell of good weather"
5. [v]  indicate or signify; "I'm afraid this spells trouble!"
6. [v]  recite the letters of or give the spelling of; "How do you spell this word?"
7. [v]  place under a spell
8. [v]  write or name the letters that comprise the conventionally accepted form of (a word or part of a word); "He spelled the word wrong in this letter"

1. \Spell\, n. [OE. speld, AS. speld a spill to light a
   candle with; akin to D. speld a pin, OD. spelle, G. spalten
   to split, OHG. spaltan, MHG. spelte a splinter, Icel. spjald
   a square tablet, Goth. spilda a writing tablet. Cf.
   {Spill}splinter, roll of paper, {Spell} to tell the letters
   of.]
   A spelk, or splinter. [Obs.] --Holland.
   

2. \Spell\, v. t. [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.
   

3. \Spell\, n.
   1. The relief of one person by another in any piece of work
      or watching; also, a turn at work which is carried on by
      one person or gang relieving another; as, a spell at the
      pumps; a spell at the masthead.
            A spell at the wheel is called a trick. --Ham. Nav.
                                                  Encyc.
   2. The time during which one person or gang works until
      relieved; hence, any relatively short period of time,
      whether a few hours, days, or weeks.
            Nothing new has happened in this quarter, except the
            setting in of a severe spell of cold weather.
                                                  --Washington.
   3. One of two or more persons or gangs who work by spells.
      [R.]
            Their toil is so extreme that they can not endure it
            above four hours in a day, but are succeeded by
            spells.                               --Garew.
   4. A gratuitous helping forward of another's work; as, a
      logging spell. [Local, U.S.]
   

4. \Spell\, n.[AS. spell a saying, tale, speech; akin to OS.
   & OHG. spel, Icel. spjall,Goth. spill. Cf. {Gospel}, {Spell}
   to tell the letters of.]
   1. A story; a tale. [Obs.] ``Hearken to my spell.''
      --Chaucer.
   2. A stanza, verse, or phrase supposed to be endowed with
      magical power; an incantation; hence, any charm.
            Start not; her actions shall be holy as You hear my
            spell is lawful.                      --Shak.
   

5. \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.]
            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.
   

6. \Spell\, v. i.
   1. To form words with letters, esp. with the proper letters,
      either orally or in writing.
            When what small knowledge was, in them did dwell,
            And he a god, who could but read or spell. --Dryden.
   2. To study by noting characters; to gain knowledge or learn
      the meaning of anything, by study. [Obs.]
            Where I may sit and rightly spell Of every star that
            heaven doth shew, And every herb that sips the dew.
                                                  --Milton.
   

incantation