Spell

·noun A story; a tale.

II. Spell ·noun A spelk, or splinter.

III. Spell ·noun One of two or more persons or gangs who work by spells.

IV. Spell ·noun A gratuitous helping forward of another's work; as, a logging spell.

V. Spell ·vt To Constitute; to Measure.

VI. Spell ·vi To form words with letters, ·esp. with the proper letters, either orally or in writing.

VII. Spell ·vi To study by noting characters; to gain knowledge or learn the meaning of anything, by study.

VIII. Spell ·vt To Tell; to Relate; to Teach.

IX. Spell ·noun A stanza, verse, or phrase supposed to be endowed with magical power; an incantation; hence, any charm.

X. Spell ·vt To supply the place of for a time; to take the turn of, at work; to Relieve; as, to spell the helmsman.

XI. Spell ·noun The time during which one person or gang works until relieved; hence, any relatively short period of time, whether a few hours, days, or weeks.

XII. Spell ·vt To discover by characters or marks; to read with difficulty;

— usually with out; as, to spell out the sense of an author; to spell out a verse in the Bible.

XIII. Spell ·vt To put under the influence of a spell; to affect by a spell; to Bewitch; to Fascinate; to Charm.

XIV. Spell ·vt To tell or name in their proper order letters of, as a word; to write or print in order the letters of, ·esp. the proper letters; to form, as words, by correct orthography.

XV. Spell ·noun The relief of one person by another in any piece of work or watching; also, a turn at work which is carried on by one person or gang relieving another; as, a spell at the pumps; a spell at the masthead.