spelt

[ spelt ]

/ spɛlt /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR spelt ON THESAURUS.COM

verb

a simple past tense and past participle of spell¹.

Nearby words

Definition for spelt (2 of 4)

spelt

[ spelt ]

/ spɛlt /

noun

one of the earliest cultivated forms of wheat, Triticum aestivum spelta, native to southern Europe and western Asia, used for livestock feed and as a grain for human consumption.

Origin of spelt

before 1000; Middle English, Old English from Late Latin spelta, probably from Germanic; compare Old High German spelza (German Spelt)

Definition for spelt (3 of 4)

spell

[ spel ]

/ spɛl /

verb (used with object), spelled or spelt, spell·ing.

to name, write, or otherwise give the letters, in order, of (a word, syllable, etc.): Did I spell your name right?

(of letters) to form (a word, syllable, etc.): The letters spelled a rather rude word.

to read letter by letter or with difficulty (often followed by out): She painfully spelled out the message.

to discern or find, as if by reading or study (often followed by out).

to signify; amount to: This delay spells disaster for us.

verb (used without object), spelled or spelt, spell·ing.

to name, write, or give the letters of words, syllables, etc.: He spells poorly.

to express words by letters, especially correctly.

Verb Phrases

spell down, to outspell others in a spelling match.

spell out,

to explain something explicitly, so that the meaning is unmistakable: Must I spell it out for you?
to write out in full or enumerate the letters of which a word is composed: The title “Ph.D.” is seldom spelled out.

Origin of spell

1250–1300; Middle English spellen < Old French espeller < Germanic; compare Old English spellian to talk, announce (derivative of spell spell²), Old High German -spellōn, Old Norse spjalla, Gothic spillōn

SYNONYMS FOR spell

5 foretell, portend, mean, promise.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR spell ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formsspell·a·ble, adjectiveun·spell·a·ble, adjective

Definition for spelt (4 of 4)

spell

[ spel ]

/ spɛl /

noun

a continuous course or period of work or other activity: to take a spell at the wheel.

a turn of work so taken.

a turn, bout, fit, or period of anything experienced or occurring: a spell of coughing.

an indefinite interval or space of time: Come visit us for a spell.

a period of weather of a specified kind: a hot spell.

Australian. a rest period.

Archaic. a person or set of persons taking a turn of work to relieve another.

verb (used with object)

to take the place of for a time; relieve: Let me spell you at the wheel.

Australian. to declare or give a rest period to.

verb (used without object)

Australian. to have or take a rest period.

Origin of spell

1585–95; (v.) alteration of earlier spele to stand instead of, relieve, spare, Middle English spelen, Old English spelian; akin to Old English spala, gespelia a substitute; (noun) akin to the v. (perhaps continuing Old English gespelia)

SYNONYMS FOR spell

4 while, bit, piece.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR spell ON THESAURUS.COM

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for spelt

I too was taught the trade of man And spelt the lesson plain; But they, when I forgot and ran, Remembered and remain.
Judge Not the Deserters|Charles Glass|May 26, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Orthograph′ic, -al, pertaining or according to orthography: spelt correctly.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 3 of 4: N-R)|Various
But to return to our dialogue: "Excuse me, sir," said the clerk, "did you say your name is spelt with Dar or Tar?"
The Cross of Berny|Emile de Girardin
In these passages the name is spelt דָּנִּאֵל; not, as in our Book, דָנִיֵאל.
The Expositor's Bible: The Book of Daniel|F. W. Farrar

I spelt it to him: he wrote the appointment down on his shirt-cuff.
Paul Kelver|Jerome Klapka, AKA Jerome K. Jerome
In pronouncing the words as spelt in the vocabulary, all letters must be sounded, with the exceptions after mentioned.
A Voyage Round the World, from 1806 to 1812|Archibald Campbell

British Dictionary definitions for spelt (1 of 5)

spelt

/ (spɛlt) /

verb

a past tense and past participle of spell 1

British Dictionary definitions for spelt (2 of 5)

spelt

/ (spɛlt) /

noun

a species of wheat, Triticum spelta, that was formerly much cultivated and was used to develop present-day cultivated wheats

Word Origin for spelt

Old English; related to Old Saxon spelta, Old High German spelza

British Dictionary definitions for spelt (3 of 5)

spell

/ (spɛl) /

verb spells, spelling, spelt or spelled

to write or name in correct order the letters that comprise the conventionally accepted form of (a word or part of a word)

(tr) (of letters) to go to make up the conventionally established form of (a word) when arranged correctlyd-o-g spells dog

(tr) to indicate or signifysuch actions spell disaster for our cause

Word Origin for spell

C13: from Old French espeller, of Germanic origin; related to Old Norse spialla to talk, Middle High German spellen

British Dictionary definitions for spelt (4 of 5)

spell

/ (spɛl) /

noun

a verbal formula considered as having magical force

any influence that can control the mind or character; fascination

a state induced by or as if by the pronouncing of a spell; tranceto break the spell

under a spell held in or as if in a spell

verb

(tr) rare to place under a spell

Word Origin for spell

Old English spell speech; related to Old Norse spjall tale, Gothic spill, Old High German spel

British Dictionary definitions for spelt (5 of 5)

spell

/ (spɛl) /

noun

an indeterminate, usually short, period of timea spell of cold weather

a period or tour of duty after which one person or group relieves another

Scot, Australian and NZ a period or interval of rest

verb

(tr) to take over from (a person) for an interval of time; relieve temporarily

spell a paddock NZ to give a field a rest period by letting it lie fallow

Word Origin for spell

Old English spelian to take the place of, of obscure origin

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 spelt (1 of 4)

spelt

Old English spelt, perhaps an early borrowing from Late Latin spelta "spelt" (c.400, noted as a foreign word), which is perhaps ultimately from PIE root *spel- "to split, to break off" (probably in reference to the splitting of its husks in threshing), which is related to the root of flint.

The word had little currency in English, and its history is discontinuous. Widespread in Romanic languages (cf. Italian spelta, Spanish espelta, Old French spelte, Modern French épeautre). The word also is widespread in Germanic (cf. Old High German spelta, German Spelt), and a Germanic language is perhaps the source of the Late Latin word.

Word Origin and History for spelt (1 of 4)

spell

v.1

"name the letters of," Old English spellian "to tell, speak," infl. by Old French espeller "declare, spell," from Frankish *spellon "to tell;" both Old English and Frankish from Proto-Germanic *spellan (cf. Old High German spellon "to tell," Old Norse spjalla, Gothic spillon "to talk, tell"), from PIE *spel- "to say aloud, recite." Related: Spelled; spelling.

Meaning "write or say the letters of a word" is c.1400, from notion of "read letter by letter, read with difficulty" (c.1300). Spell out "explain step-by-step" is first recorded 1940, American English. Spelling bee is from 1878 (earlier simply spelling, 1860).

Word Origin and History for spelt (2 of 4)

spell

"incantation, charm," Old English spell "story, speech," from Proto-Germanic *spellan (cf. Old Norse spjall, Old High German spel, Gothic spill "report, discourse, tale;" German Beispiel "example;" see spell (v.1)). Meaning "set of words with magical powers, incantation, charm" first recorded 1570s.

The term 'spell' is generally used for magical procedures which cause harm, or force people to do something against their will -- unlike charms for healing, protection, etc. ["Oxford Dictionary of English Folklore"]

Word Origin and History for spelt (3 of 4)

spell

v.2

"work in place of (another)," Old English spelian "to take the place of," related to gespelia "substitute," of uncertain origin. Perhaps related to spilian "to play" (see spiel). Related: Spelled; spelling. The noun meaning "indefinite period of time" first recorded 1706.

Idioms and Phrases with spelt

spell

In addition to the idiom beginning with spell

spell out

also see:

cold snap (spell)
under someone's spell

spelt

verb

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Definition for spelt (2 of 4)

spelt

noun

Origin of spelt

Definition for spelt (3 of 4)

spell

verb (used with object), spelled or spelt, spell·ing.

verb (used without object), spelled or spelt, spell·ing.

Verb Phrases

Origin of spell

Definition for spelt (4 of 4)

spell

noun

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

Origin of spell

Examples from the Web for spelt

British Dictionary definitions for spelt (1 of 5)

spelt

verb

British Dictionary definitions for spelt (2 of 5)

spelt

noun

Word Origin for spelt

British Dictionary definitions for spelt (3 of 5)

spell

verb spells, spelling, spelt or spelled

Word Origin for spell

British Dictionary definitions for spelt (4 of 5)

spell

noun

verb

Word Origin for spell

British Dictionary definitions for spelt (5 of 5)

spell

noun

verb

Word Origin for spell

Word Origin and History for spelt (1 of 4)

spelt

Word Origin and History for spelt (1 of 4)

spell

Word Origin and History for spelt (2 of 4)

spell

Word Origin and History for spelt (3 of 4)

spell

Idioms and Phrases with spelt

spell