Dictionary.net

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"

indicate or signify; "I'm afraid this spells trouble!"

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"

recite the letters of or give the spelling of; "How do you spell this word?"

place under a spell

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"; "a patch of bad weather"

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"

indicate or signify; "I'm afraid this spells trouble!"

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"

recite the letters of or give the spelling of; "How do you spell this word?"

place under a spell

A spelk, or splinter.

To supply the place of for a time; to take the turn of, at work; to relieve; as, to spell the helmsman.

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.

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.

One of two or more persons or gangs who work by spells.

A gratuitous helping forward of another's work; as, a logging spell.

A story; a tale.

A stanza, verse, or phrase supposed to be endowed with magical power; an incantation; hence, any charm.

To tell; to relate; to teach.

To put under the influence of a spell; to affect by a spell; to bewitch; to fascinate; to charm.

To constitute; to measure.

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.

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 form words with letters, esp. with the proper letters, either orally or in writing.

To study by noting characters; to gain knowledge or learn the meaning of anything, by study.

spelling.

spelling.

A charm; a spoken word or words supposed to act as a charm; a turn at work; as, a spell at the oars; time during which a person works; colloquially, any short period of time.

To form words with letters, especially with the correct letters; as, he spells accurately.

To write or repeat in order the proper letters of (a word); to indicate of mean; as, war spells hardship.

Any form of words supposed to possess magical power.

To tell or name the letters of: to name, write, or print the proper letters of.

To form words with the proper letters:-pr.p. spelling; pa.t. and pa.p. spelled, spelt.

To take another's place at work.

A turn at work: a short period:-pr.p. spelling; pa.t. and pa.p. spelled.

A charm; incantation; a turn at work.

Spelled, spelt.

To name or write the letters of.

To name the letters of a word in order.

To relieve.

To fascinate; bewitch.

To frame words out of letters.

A turn of duty in relief of another.

Any short period of time.

An incantation; charm; fascination.

n. [Anglo-Saxon] A story or tale ; a ballad or narrative poem :-a verse or phrase repeated for its magical power ; a charm ; -hence, (from the story-tellers or reciters of tales, poems, doing it in turns or time about) the relief of one person by another in any work ; a short period of work; a turn;-a brief period or continuance; a season.