spelldown
[ spel-doun ]
/ ˈspɛlˌdaʊn /
noun
a spelling competition that begins with all the contestants standing and that ends when all but one, the winner, have been required to sit down due to a specified number of misspellings.
Nearby words
spell-check, spellbind, spellbinder, spellbound, spellchecker, spelldown, speller, speller-divider, spellican, spelling, spelling bee
Origin of spelldown
1940–45, Americanism; from phrase spell down to outspell others in a spelling match
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019