Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary · 1913

Spell

Spell , noun

[Old English speld, Anglo-Saxon speld a spill to light a candle with; akin to Dutch speld a pin, OD. spelle, German spalten to split, Old High German spaltan, Middle High German spelte a splinter, Icelandic spjald a square tablet, Gothic spilda a writing tablet. Compare Spillsplinter, roll of paper, Spell to tell the letters of.]

A spelk, or splinter. [Obsolete] — Holland

Spell , transitive verb

[Anglo-Saxon 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.

Spell , noun

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. [Rare]
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, United States]

Spell , noun

[Anglo-Saxon spell a saying, tale, speech; akin to Old Saxon & Old High German spel, Icelandic spjall,Gothic spill. Compare Gospel, Spell to tell the letters of.]

1.
A story; a tale. [Obsolete]
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. — Shakespeare

Spell ({not transcribed}) , transitive verb

[Old English spellen, spellien, tell, relate, Anglo-Saxon spellian, from spell a saying, tale; akin to Middle High German spellen to relate, Gothic spill{not transcribed}n.e Spell a tale. In sense 4 and those following, Old English 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: compare Dutch spellen to spell. Compare Spell splinter.]

1.
To tell; to relate; to teach. [Obsolete]
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. [Obsolete]
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

Spell , intransitive verb

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. [Obsolete]
Where I may sit and rightly spell Of every star that heaven doth shew, And every herb that sips the dew. — Milton