spelldown

[ spel-doun ]

/ ˈspɛlˌdaʊn /

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See synonyms for spelldown on Thesaurus.com

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.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of spelldown

1940–45, Americanism; from phrase spell down to outspell others in a spelling match

Words nearby spelldown

spellbind, spellbinder, spellbound, spell-check, spell checker, spelldown, speller, speller-divider, spellican, spelling, spelling bee