Speld, speld, n. a chip, splinter.—Also Spel′der.
Spelding, spel′ding, n. (Scot.) a small fish split and dried in the sun.—Also Spel′drin, Spel′dron.
Spelin, spe-lin′, n. an artificial linguistic system devised by G. Bauer in 1888 for universal use.
Spelk, spelk, n. (prov.) a rod, switch.—v.t. to use a spelk in or upon.
Spell, spel, n. any form of words supposed to possess magical power: fascination.—v.t. to tell or name the letters of: to name, write, or print the proper letters of.—v.i. to form words with the proper letters: to study:—pr.p. spell′ing; pa.t. and pa.p. spelled, spelt.—adjs. Spell′able, capable of being spelled; Spell′-bound, Spell′-stopped (Shak.), entranced, fascinated.—ns. Spell′er, one who spells: one skilled in spelling; Spell′ing, act of spelling or naming the letters of words: orthography; Spell′ing-bee, a competition in spelling; Spell′ing-book, a book for teaching to spell; Spell′-work, that which is wrought by spells or charms: power of magic.—Spell backward, to spell, repeat, or arrange in reverse order: to understand in a contrary sense: to turn wrong-side out, misconstrue one's qualities; Spell baker, to do something difficult, that word being one of the earliest dissyllables in children's books. [A.S. spell, a narrative; Goth. spill, Ice. spjall, a tale.]
Spell, spel, v.t. to take another's place at work:—pr.p. spell′ing; pa.t. and pa.p. spelled.—n. a turn at work: a short period indefinitely: an interval of rest: a bad turn. [A.S. spelian, to act for another; cf. Dut. spelen, Ger. spielen, to play.]
Spelt, spelt, n. a kind of wheat, probably only a race of common wheat, still grown in the mountainous parts of Europe and elsewhere—also called German wheat. [A.S. spelt—Low L. spelta.]
Spelter, spel′tėr, n. zinc. [Allied to Dut. spiauter.]
Spence, spens, n. (prov.) a place where provisions are kept: a larder: a pantry.—Also Spense. [O. Fr. despense, a buttery—despendre—L. dispendĕre.]
Spencer, spens′ėr, n. a short over-jacket worn by men or women, named after Earl Spencer (1782-1845).