spell

Pronunciation: /spɛl/

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: B1 — Intermediate

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun a psychological state induced by (or as if induced by) a magical incantation
  2. noun a time for working (after which you will be relieved by someone else)
  3. noun a period of indeterminate length (usually short) marked by some action or condition

Etymology

From Middle English spell, spel, from Old English spell (“news, story”), from Proto-Germanic *spellą (“speech, account, tale”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)pel- (“to tell”) or from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- (“to speak, to sound”) with the s-mobile prefix. Cognate with dialectal German Spill, Icelandic spjall (“discussion, talk”), spjalla (“to discuss, to talk”), guðspjall (“gospel”) and Albanian fjalë (“word”).

In classic literature

Synonyms

enchantment, trance

Semantic network

Broader (hypernyms)
psychological state
Narrower (hyponyms)
fascination, possession

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