n. [ AS. bigspell. ] A proverb. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To be inconsistent with, or act contrary to, the precepts of the gospel; to pervert the gospel. [ Obs. ] Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Dispelled p. pr. & vb. n. Dispelling. ] [ L. dispellere; dis- + pellere to push, drive. See Pulse a beating. ] To drive away by scattering, or so to cause to vanish; to clear away; to banish; to dissipate; as, to dispel a cloud, vapors, cares, doubts, illusions. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ Satan ] gently raised
their fainting courage, and dispelled their fears. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

I saw myself the lambent easy light
Gild the brown horror, and dispel the night. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. gospel, godspel, AS. godspell; god God + spell story, tale. See God, and Spell, v. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Glad tidings; especially, the good news concerning Christ, the Kingdom of God, and salvation. [ 1913 Webster ]

And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom. Matt. iv. 23. [ 1913 Webster ]

The steadfast belief of the promises of the gospel. Bentley. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ It is probable that gospel is from. OE. godspel, God story, the narrative concerning God; but it was early confused with god spell, good story, good tidings, and was so used by the translators of the Authorized version of Scripture. This use has been retained in most cases in the Revised Version. [ 1913 Webster ]

Thus the literal sense [ of gospel ] is the “narrative of God, ” i. e., the life of Christ. Skeat. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One of the four narratives of the life and death of Jesus Christ, written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A selection from one of the gospels, for use in a religious service; as, the gospel for the day. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Any system of religious doctrine; sometimes, any system of political doctrine or social philosophy; as, this political gospel. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Anything propounded or accepted as infallibly true; as, they took his words for gospel. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

If any one thinks this expression hyperbolical, I shall only ask him to read Œdipus, instead of taking the traditional witticisms about Lee for gospel. Saintsbury. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Accordant with, or relating to, the gospel; evangelical; as, gospel righteousness. Bp. Warburton. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To instruct in the gospel. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ AS. godspellere. ] [ Written also gospeller. ] 1. One of the four evangelists. Rom. of R. [ 1913 Webster ]

Mark the gospeler was the ghostly son of Peter in baptism. Wyclif. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A follower of Wyclif, the first English religious reformer; hence, a Puritan. [ Obs. ] Latimer. [ 1913 Webster ]

The persecution was carried on against the gospelers with much fierceness by those of the Roman persuasion. Strype. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A priest or deacon who reads the gospel at the altar during the communion service. [ 1913 Webster ]

The Archbishop of York was the celebrant, the epistoler being the dean, and the gospeler the Bishop of Sydney. Pall Mall Gazette. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Gospelized p. pr. & vb. n. Gospelizing ] [ Written also gospellize. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. To form according to the gospel; as, a command gospelized to us. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To instruct in the gospel; to evangelize; as, to gospelize the savages. Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A verbal formula considered to have magical force.
Syn. -- spell, incantation. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. t., v. t., etc. See Misspell, Misspend, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Misspelled or Misspelt p. pr. & vb. n. Misspelling. ] To spell incorrectly. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A wrong spelling. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To spell again. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Scot. speld to spread out, spelder to split. spread open; cf. G. spalten split. ] A haddock or other small fish split open and dried in the sun; -- called also speldron. [ Scot. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. pl. See Spilikin. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ AS. spelc, spilc, a little rod by which a thing is kept straight, a splint for binding up broken bones, akin to Icel. spelkur, pl., a splint. Cf. Spell a splinter. ] A small stick or rod used as a spike in thatching; a splinter. [ Prov. Eng. ] Grose. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. speld, AS. speld a spill to light a candle with; akin to D. speld a pin, OD. spelle, G. spalten to split, OHG. spaltan, MHG. spelte a splinter, Icel. spjald a square tablet, Goth. spilda a writing tablet. Cf. Spillsplinter, roll of paper, Spell to tell the letters of. ] A spelk, or splinter. [ Obs. ] Holland. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Spelled p. pr. & vb. n. Spelling. ] [ AS. spelian to supply another's place. ] To supply the place of for a time; to take the turn of, at work; to relieve; as, to spell the helmsman. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

A spell at the wheel is called a trick. Ham. Nav. Encyc. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

Nothing new has happened in this quarter, except the setting in of a severe spell of cold weather. Washington. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. One of two or more persons or gangs who work by spells. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Their toil is so extreme that they can not endure it above four hours in a day, but are succeeded by spells. Garew. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A gratuitous helping forward of another's work; as, a logging spell. [ Local, U.S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n.[ AS. spell a saying, tale, speech; akin to OS. & OHG. spel, Icel. spjall, Goth. spill. Cf. Gospel, Spell to tell the letters of. ] 1. A story; a tale. [ Obs. ] “Hearken to my spell.” Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A stanza, verse, or phrase supposed to be endowed with magical power; an incantation; hence, any charm. [ 1913 Webster ]

Start not; her actions shall be holy as
You hear my spell is lawful. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Spelled r Spelt p. pr. & vb. n. Spelling. ] [ OE. spellen, spellien, tell, relate, AS. spellian, fr. spell a saying, tale; akin to MHG. spellen to relate, Goth. spill&unr_;n.e Spell a tale. In sense 4 and those following, OE. spellen, perhaps originally a different word, and from or influenced by spell a splinter, from the use of a piece of wood to point to the letters in schools: cf. D. spellen to spell. Cf. Spell splinter. ] 1. To tell; to relate; to teach. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Might I that legend find,
By fairies spelt in mystic rhymes. T. Warton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To put under the influence of a spell; to affect by a spell; to bewitch; to fascinate; to charm. “Spelled with words of power.” Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

He was much spelled with Eleanor Talbot. Sir G. Buck. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To constitute; to measure. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The Saxon heptarchy, when seven kings put together did spell but one in effect. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

The word “satire” ought to be spelled with i, and not with y. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

To spell out a God in the works of creation. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

To sit spelling and observing divine justice upon every accident. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To form words with letters, esp. with the proper letters, either orally or in writing. [ 1913 Webster ]

When what small knowledge was, in them did dwell,
And he a god, who could but read or spell. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To study by noting characters; to gain knowledge or learn the meaning of anything, by study. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Where I may sit and rightly spell
Of every star that heaven doth shew,
And every herb that sips the dew. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Capable of being spelt. Carlyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Spellbound p. pr. & vb. n. Spellbinding. ] To bind or hold by, or as if by, a spell or charm; to entrance or fascinate, esp. by eloquence of speech, as in a political campaign. -- Spell"bind`er n. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

a. Bound by, or as by, a spell. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who spells. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A spelling book. [ U. S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Abounding in spells, or charms. [ 1913 Webster ]

Here, while his eyes the learned leaves peruse,
Each spellful mystery explained he views. Hoole. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of one who spells; formation of words by letters; orthography. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to spelling. [ 1913 Webster ]

Spelling bee, a spelling match. [ U.S. ] --
Spelling book, a book with exercises for teaching children to spell; a speller. --
Spelling match, a contest of skill in spelling words, between two or more persons. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A theater. [ Slang ] Byron. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Power or effect of magic; that which is wrought by magic; enchantment. [ 1913 Webster ]

Like those Peri isles of light
That hang by spellwork in the air. Moore. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. & i. [ See Spell a splinter. ] To split; to break; to spalt. [ Obs. ] Mortimer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ AS. spelt, fr. L. spelta. ] (Bot.) A species of grain (Triticum Spelta) much cultivated for food in Germany and Switzerland; -- called also German wheat. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Spalt. ] (Metal.) Spelter. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

imp. & p. p. of Spell. Spelled. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. LG. spialter, G. & D. spiauter. Cf. Pewter. ] (Metal.) Zinc; -- especially so called in commerce and arts. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. spelunca cave. ] A cavern; a cave. [ Obs. ] Piers Plowman. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ 1st pref. un- + spell. ] To break the power of (a spell); to release (a person) from the influence of a spell; to disenchant. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Such practices as these, . . .
The more judicious Israelites unspelled. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]