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spelt
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UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈspɛlt/US:USA pronunciation: respellingUSA pronunciation: respelling(spelt)
- From the verb spell: (⇒ conjugate)
- spelt is: ⓘClick the infinitive to see all available inflections
- v past (Mainly UK)
- v past p (Mainly UK)
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026spelt1 (spelt),USA pronunciation v. - a pt. and pp. of spell 1.
spelt2 (spelt),USA pronunciation n.
- Plant Biologya wheat, Triticum aestivum spelta, native to southern Europe and western Asia, used chiefly for livestock feed.
- Gmc; compare Old High German spelza (German Spelt)
- Late Latin spelta, probably
- Middle English, Old English bef. 1000
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
spelt /spɛlt/ vb - a past tense and past participle of spell1
spelt /spɛlt/ n - a species of wheat, Triticum spelta, that was formerly much cultivated and was used to develop present-day cultivated wheats
Etymology: Old English; related to Old Saxon spelta, Old High German spelza spell1 /spɛl/USA pronunciation
v., spelled or spelt/spɛlt/USA pronunciation spell•ing.
- Linguisticsto name, write, or otherwise give the letters, in order, of (a word, syllable, etc.): [~ + object]Did I spell your name right?[no object]How did you learn to spell so well?
- Linguistics, (of letters) to form (a word, syllable, etc.):[not: be + ~-ing;~ + object]Y-e-s spells yes.
- to read or say (a word) letter by letter or with difficulty: [~ + out + object]Spell out your name for me.[~ + object + out]to spell some words out.
- to signify;
amount to;
mean or signal:[not: be + ~-ing;~ + object]This delay spells disaster for the business.
- spell out, to explain something plainly: [~ + object + out]Must I spell it out for you? Our engagement is broken![~ + out + object]Would someone spell out for me just what this crisis will do to our company?
spell2 /spɛl/USA pronunciation
n. [countable]
- a word or phrase believed to have magic power;
an incantation:uttering charms and spells.
- a state or period of enchantment caused by magic power:living under a spell.
- any strong influence;
fascination:[usually: singular]under the spell of music.
spell3 /spɛl/USA pronunciation
n. [countable]
- a continuous period of activity:You've been driving all day; let someone else take a spell at the wheel.
- a bout or fit of anything experienced:a spell of coughing.
- an indefinite period:Come visit us for a spell.
- a period of weather of a certain kind:a hot spell.
v. [~ + object]
- to take the place of for a time;
relieve:Let me spell you at the wheel.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026spell1
(spel),USA pronunciation v., spelled or spelt, spell•ing. v.t. - Linguisticsto name, write, or otherwise give the letters, in order, of (a word, syllable, etc.):Did I spell your name right?
- Linguistics, (of letters) to form (a word, syllable, etc.):The letters spelled a rather rude word.
- to read letter by letter or with difficulty (often fol. by out):She painfully spelled out the message.
- to discern or find, as if by reading or study (often fol. by out).
- to signify;
amount to:This delay spells disaster for us.
v.i. - Linguisticsto name, write, or give the letters of words, syllables, etc.:He spells poorly.
- Linguisticsto express words by letters, esp. correctly.
- Education 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.
- Gmc; compare Old English spellian to talk, announce (derivative of spell spell2), Old High German -spellōn, Old Norse spjalla, Gothic spillōn
- Old French espeller
- Middle English spellen 1250–1300
5. foretell, portend, mean, promise.
spell2 (spel),USA pronunciation
- a word, phrase, or form of words supposed to have magic power;
charm;
incantation:The wizard cast a spell.
- a state or period of enchantment:She was under a spell.
- any dominating or irresistible influence;
fascination:the spell of fine music.
- bef. 900; Middle English spell, Old English: discourse; cognate with Old High German spel, Old Norse spjall, Gothic spill tale; see spell1, gospel
- 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.
- British Terms[Australian.]a rest period.
- [Archaic.]a person or set of persons taking a turn of work to relieve another.
v.t. - to take the place of for a time;
relieve:Let me spell you at the wheel.
- British Terms[Australian.]to declare or give a rest period to.
v.i. - British Terms[Australian.]to have or take a rest period.
- 1585–95; (verb, verbal) 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, nominal) akin to the verb, verbal (perh. continuing Old English gespelia)
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
spell /spɛl/ vb (spells, spelling, spelt, spelled)- to write or name in correct order the letters that comprise the conventionally accepted form of (a word or part of a word)
- (transitive) (of letters) to go to make up the conventionally established form of (a word) when arranged correctly: d-o-g spells dog
- (transitive) to indicate or signify: such actions spell disaster for our cause
Etymology: 13th Century: from Old French espeller, of Germanic origin; related to Old Norse spialla to talk, Middle High German spellenˈspellable adj spell /spɛl/ n - 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; trance: to break the spell
- under a spell ⇒ held in or as if in a spell
vb (spells, spelling, spelled)- (transitive) rare to place under a spell
Etymology: Old English spell speech; related to Old Norse spjall tale, Gothic spill, Old High German spel spell /spɛl/ n - an indeterminate, usually short, period of time: a spell of cold weather
- a period or tour of duty after which one person or group relieves another
- Scot Austral NZ a period or interval of rest
vb (spells, spelling, spelled)- (transitive) to take over from (a person) for an interval of time; relieve temporarily
Etymology: Old English spelian to take the place of, of obscure origin
'spelt' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
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