spiel

[ speel, shpeel ]

/ spil, ʃpil /

Informal.

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See synonyms for: spiel / spieled / spieling on Thesaurus.com

noun

a usually high-flown talk or speech, especially for the purpose of luring people to a movie, a sale, etc.; pitch.

verb (used without object)

to speak extravagantly.

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Which pasta name means “butterflies”?

fettuccine

farfalle

penne

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Origin of spiel

1890–95; (noun) <German Spiel or Yiddish shpil play, game; (v.) <German spielen or Yiddish shpiln to play, gamble

Words nearby spiel

spiderweb, spiderwood, spiderwort, spidery, spiegeleisen, spiel, Spielberg, Spielberg, Steven, spieler, Spielmeyer-Vogt disease, spier

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use spiel in a sentence

In tests, cordless vacuums give between 15 and 45 minutes of action, and that doesn’t always correlate with what it says on the box or in the marketing spiel.
Best cordless vacuum: Suck up debris without getting yourself tangled|Charlotte Marcus|January 19, 2021|Popular Science
He calls his motivational spiel about conserving native plants “Tales from the Crypt,” and he chats colorfully about plants and the people who love them.
How passion, luck and sweat saved some of North America’s rarest plants|Susan Milius|November 5, 2020|Science News
CEO Andrea Lee offers Lloyd Grove a sales spiel, concentration camps not included.
North Korea Vacations? Yes, They’re Possible, Though ‘Very Structured’|Lloyd Grove|June 13, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Rather than giving him her usual spiel and urging him to go public, she hides him—in the Rensselaer house with Ben.
Judge Me Not: Jonathan Dee’s ‘A Thousand Pardons’ Reviewed|Benjamin Lytal|March 13, 2013|DAILY BEAST

When the crew finally reaches the tribe, they give them their spiel.
Meet the Germans Having Sex to Save the World|Marlow Stern|March 13, 2013|DAILY BEAST
"Aw, boss, that was part of the spiel," he confessed frankly.
From Place to Place|Irvin S. Cobb
When Artie goes to a wedding, he records that "there was a long spiel by the high guy in the pulpit."
America To-day, Observations and Reflections|William Archer
You can hand em the spiel you gave me, and see how much they believe of it.
The Gray Phantom's Return|Herman Landon
He'll give you a spiel about his research and ask to measure your brain waves.
Sentiment, Inc.|Poul William Anderson
The Germans call it Krug-spiel—which means war-game, and that term has been adopted all over the world.
The Boy Scout Automobilists|Robert Maitland

British Dictionary definitions for spiel

spiel

/ (ʃpiːl) /

noun

a glib plausible style of talk, associated esp with salesmen

verb

(intr) to deliver a prepared spiel

(tr usually foll by off) to recite (a prepared oration)

Derived forms of spiel

spieler, noun

Word Origin for spiel

C19: from German Spiel play

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

spiel

noun

verb (used without object)

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Origin of spiel

Words nearby spiel

Words related to spiel

How to use spiel in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for spiel

noun

verb

Derived forms of spiel

Word Origin for spiel