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spellbind

[ spel-bahynd ]
/ ˈspɛlˌbaɪnd /
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR spellbind ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), spell·bound, spell·bind·ing.

to hold or bind by or as if by a spell; enchant; entrance; fascinate.

RELATED WORDS

beguile, mesmerize, slay, win, draw, inveigle, allure, kill, wow, vamp, attract, transport, hex, captivate, please, send, tickle, take, cajole, entrance

Nearby words

spell check, spell checker, spell out, spell-check, spell-checker, spellbind, spellbinder, spellbinding, spellbound, spellchecker, spelldown

Origin of spellbind

1800–10; spell2 + bind, deduced from spellbound
Related formsspell·bind·ing·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for spellbind

spellbind

/ (ˈspɛlˌbaɪnd) /

verb -binds, -binding or -bound

(tr) to cause to be spellbound; entrance or enthral
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for spellbind

spellbind

v.

1808, from spell (n.) + bind. Related: Spellbinding.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper