spell1 verbspell2 noun
spellspell1 /spel/ ●●● S2 verb (past tense and past participle spelt /spelt/ especially British English or spelled especially American English) 
WORD ORIGINspell1
Origin:
1200-1300 Old French espellerVERB TABLE
spell
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | spell |
| he, she, it | spells | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | spelt (BrE), spelled (AmE) |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have spelt (BrE), spelled (AmE) |
| he, she, it | has spelt (BrE), spelled (AmE) | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had spelt (BrE), spelled (AmE) |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will spell |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have spelt (BrE), spelled (AmE) |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am spelling |
| he, she, it | is spelling | |
| you, we, they | are spelling | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was spelling |
| you, we, they | were spelling | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been spelling |
| he, she, it | has been spelling | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been spelling |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be spelling |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been spelling |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- "B-O-O-K" spells "book."
- "How do you spell your name?" "S-M-I-T-H."
- And your last name is Aitchson? Could your spell that out for me please?
- How do you spell your surname?
- I've never been able to spell very well in English.
- In American English, 'organize' is always spelled with a 'z'.
- No one thinks this could spell the closure of the firm, but things could be better.
- Out-of-town retail developments often spell the death of independent high street shops.
- Gray also published a book by the same title in which he managed to spell Jon Swain's name incorrectly.
- He always spells his name for secretaries.
- Some deaf children are, however, very proficient at sign language and they can also spell out words using finger spelling.
- That spells trouble for the individual, the team, and, perhaps most important, the client.
- The scale of the catastrophe was spelled out by one speaker after another.
- These can be spelled out pretty easily on a resume, but the new qualifications can not.
- These new rules spell the end of jobs as we have known them.
- This argument is spelled out in detail in Chapter 19.
Longman Language Activatorto make something completely clear
· I tried to make clear exactly what I meant.make it clear (that) · The teacher made it clear that she would not allow talking in class.make something clear · We want to make the rules clear from the beginning.make yourself clear (=make it clear what you mean) · Am I making myself clear?
formal to make something clearer, especially because people have not completely understood it: · I hope this statement has helped to clarify a few points.clarify your position (=make it clear what you think about something and what your intentions are): · The senator tried to clarify his position on abortion.
to explain something in the clearest possible way, especially when you think it should be unnecessary to make things so simple or to give so many details: · Do I have to spell out to you how important this is to me?· Andrews was asked to spell out exactly how pensions would be affected.· Campbell spelled out the reasons why staff reductions were necessary.
informal to state something clearly and strongly, especially something that other people may be unwilling to listen to or accept: · I'm going to lay it on the line. If you don't quit drinking, I'm going to leave you.
if you say something in no uncertain terms , you make your meaning very clear, especially when you are annoyed with someone about something: · The president of the university condemned racism on campus in no uncertain terms.· You've got to let him know, in no uncertain terms, that you will no longer tolerate his abuse.
to show that something is going to happen to be a sign that something is very likely to happen: · Dark clouds usually mean rain.mean (that): · High interest rates and high inflation mean a recession is not far away.· His new responsibilities at work mean Leroy will rarely see his children.take something to mean (that) (=believe that something is a sign of something): · Stein took off his glasses and rested his head on the back of the chair. I took this to mean that he wasn't going to say any more.
if a situation or action spells trouble, problems etc, it makes you expect that something bad will happen, because there are clear signs that it will: · No one thinks this could spell the closure of the firm, but things could be better.· Out-of-town retail developments often spell the death of independent high street shops.
formal to be a sign that something good or bad is likely to happen in the future: · Gandalf's late arrival did not bode well.bode well/ill for: · The drop in profits bodes ill for Japan's semiconductor industry.· The high early viewing figures bode well for writers Lane and Harvey, who hope to achieve network success.
to be a sign that something is going to happen soon, especially something important - used especially in literature or newspapers: · In February, the first storks arrive, heralding spring.· What changes do the attacks herald for everyday life in the US?· His prosecution perhaps heralds an end to the systematic corruption that has stained this government's reputation.herald something as: · Taxol has been heralded as a breakthrough in cancer treatment.
to write the letters of a word to write a word using the correct letters in the correct order: · In American English, 'organize' is always spelled with a 'z'.· How do you spell your surname?· I've never been able to spell very well in English.spell something out (=to say each letter of a word in the right order): · And your last name is Aitchson? Could you spell that out for me please?
the way a word is spelled, or someone's ability to spell words correctly: · British and American spellings· Your spelling is atrocious!· This essay is full of spelling mistakes.
WORD SETSacronym, nounadage, nounaffricate, nounagglutination, nounalphanumeric, adjectiveanglophone, nounantecedent, nounantonym, nounaphorism, nounarchaism, nounargot, nounaspirate, verbaspirate, nounaspiration, nounassonance, nounbaby talk, nounback, adjectiveback formation, nounbilabial, nounbody language, nouncant, nouncliché, nouncognate, adjectivecognate, nouncollocate, verbcollocation, nouncolloquial, adjectivecombining form, nouncompound, nounconcordance, nounconnotation, nounconsonant, nouncontext, nouncontraction, nouncorpus, noundative, noundeclarative, adjectivedecline, verbdecode, verbdescriptive, adjectivediction, noundiminutive, noundiminutive suffix, noundiphthong, nounelide, verbellipsis, nounelocution, nounemphasis, nounencode, verbenunciate, verb-ese, suffixetymology, nouneuphemism, nouneuphemistic, adjectiveexpression, nounfigurative, adjectivefirst language, nounformal, adjectivefricative, noungender, nounglide, nounglottal stop, nounhard, adjectivehieroglyphics, nounhigh-level, adjectivehomograph, nounhomonym, nounhomophone, nounhyperbole, nounideogram, nounidiolect, nounidiom, nounidiomatic, adjectiveinflection, nounintonation, nounIPA, nounironic, adjectivejargon, nounlabial, nounlanguage, nounlegalese, nounlexical, adjectivelexicography, nounlexicon, nounlexis, nounlingua franca, nounlinguist, nounlinguistic, adjectivelinguistics, nounlip-read, verbloanword, nounlocution, nounlong, adjectivemaxim, nounmetalanguage, nounmispronounce, verbmnemonic, nounmonosyllabic, adjectivemonosyllable, nounmorpheme, nounmorphology, nounnasal, adjectivenasal, nounneologism, nounneutral, adjectivenonce, adjectivenon-standard, adjectivenonverbal, adjectiveofficialese, nounonomatopoeia, nounopen vowel, nounorientalist, nounoxymoron, nounpalindrome, nounparagraph, nounparaphrase, verbparaphrase, nounphilology, nounphoneme, nounphonemics, nounphonetic, adjectivephonetics, nounphonic, adjectivephonology, nounphrasal, adjectivephraseology, nounpidgin, nounplosive, nounpolyglot, adjectivepolysemous, adjectivepolysyllabic, adjectiveportmanteau word, nounpragmatics, nounpreliterate, adjectivepre-verbal, adjectiveprimary stress, nounpronounce, verbpronounceable, adjectivepronunciation, nounproverb, nounpsychobabble, nounReceived Pronunciation, nounrecitation, nounregister, nounretroflex, adjectiveRP, nounschwa, nounsecondary stress, nounsecond language, nounsemantic, adjectivesemantics, nounsemiotics, nounsemi-vowel, nounshort, adjectivesibilant, adjectivesibilant, nounsic, adverbsilent, adjectivesimile, nounslang, nounsound, verbspeech, nounspeech therapy, nounspell, verbspelling, nounspoonerism, nounstandard, adjectivestem, nounstop, nounstress, nounstress, verbstressed, adjectivestress mark, nounstructuralism, nounstylistics, nounsuperlative, nounsyllabic, adjectivesyllable, nounsynonym, nounsynonymous, adjectivetechnical, adjectiveterminology, nounthesaurus, nountone, nountone language, nountoneless, adjectivetongue, nountranscribe, verbtranscription, nountrope, noununpronounceable, adjectiveunstressed, adjectiveunvoiced, adjectiveusage, nounuse, verbuse, nounvelar, adjectivevocabulary, nounvoiceless, adjectivevowel, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY
How do you spell ‘juice’? You’ve spelled my name wrong.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES She started to suffer from dizzy spells (=a short period when you feel dizzy). a book of magic spells sunny periods/spells/intervals (=periods when it is sunny)
How do you spell ‘juice’? You’ve spelled my name wrong. (=time)· For a brief spell in early summer it is the most beautiful of all the trees.
(=a process in which a computer program tells you if you have spelt words wrong)· Have you done a spell check on your essay?
(=a period of cold weather, especially a short one)· We’re currently going through a bit of a cold spell.
(=the correct way of writing words)· Copying does not teach correct spelling.
(=cause something to end badly or fail)· Bad luck and the recession spelt disaster for her business.
She started to suffer from dizzy spells (=a short period when you feel dizzy). (=mean that something will not continue to exist)· Many people predicted that Internet growth would spell doom for the traditional media.
· You lose marks if your paper contains spelling errors.
a book of magic spells· She spotted two spelling mistakes in the article.
(=cause ruin for someone)· Unwise investment can spell financial ruin.
sunny periods/spells/intervals (=periods when it is sunny)· I didn’t do very well in the listening test.
(=mean there will be trouble)· They are now much more competitive, which can only spell trouble for their rivals.
· I always find that word hard to spell.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· Make sure it exists and that its name is spelled correctly.· Maybe the letter was not spelled correctly.
· Hells bells! they could not even spell teem!· I can't even spell properly.· She doesn't know the meaning of the word discretion - probably can't even spell it.
· This argument is spelled out in detail in Chapter 19.· He needs to spell out why a tax cut is going to help the average family of four.· The courts have not been given a mandate to spell out collective responsibilities, and even less to police them.· This method should be spelled out carefully in the proposal.· I regret that I can not spell out part by part and line by line exactly what I want to achieve.· It will be useful therefore to spell out, if only briefly, some of its main characteristics.· Facts should normally be allowed to speak for themselves: to spell out a conclusion may spell danger.· Prosecutors gave Bailey, an adversary, $ 6 million worth of stock without spelling out any conditions of the transfer.
NOUN· Chernobyl spelled out the dangers in letters ten feet high.· No literary work could more eloquently or plainly spell out the dangers that exist for the woman who competes in male pursuits.· Facts should normally be allowed to speak for themselves: to spell out a conclusion may spell danger.
· Because of this, suffering is less of a threat to happiness, while it spells death to the pleasure-seeking life.· In this case, childish storytelling could have spelled death.· Thought it spelled death for her professional future.· Some in the industry even predicted that e-commerce would spell the death of malls.
· This argument is spelled out in detail in Chapter 19.· Don't worry if this isn't entirely clear; it's spelled out in painful detail during the film.· This had implications for teacher training, which the Kingman Report spells out in detail.· Now, Congress will go to work spelling out details of that plan.· This needs to be spelled out in some detail.· Roosevelt did not spell out the details.· The general principles of the document were spelled out in some detail.· Determining the shape all these negotiations will take is difficult because few flat tax plans have been spelled out in detail.
· Staff here say that would spell disaster for hundreds of alcoholics.· All of this spells a disaster for the stock market, Allmon contends.· With reduced legal aid payouts and a tough new means test for applicants looming, it could spell financial disaster.· It only rarely spells universal disaster.· Delegated authority without a meaningful consultation process would spell disaster for teacher morale, motivation, commitment and hence effectiveness.· After all, one case of the trots hardly spells disaster.· You never come in this kitchen but you break something: when you help it spells disaster.
· Moreover, such a move would probably spell the end of the Greens' day in the political sun.· These new rules spell the end of jobs as we have known them.· Not only was the death of Diego the cause of personal sorrow, it also spelled the end of his family line.· The increase may spell the end to more than a year of intense price competition in the industry, analysts said.· Sterility itself can not be selected for, as success would spell the automatic end of the line involved.· This spelled the end of the Brezhnev doctrine, under which Soviet military power enforced the loyalty of its peripheral satellite states.· They could spell the end of national wage agreements and the sinking of clinical grading before it has properly begun to swim.· For four and five she spells from the other end and for six she again spells the letters.
· The letters spelled have fun out doors.· Maybe the letter was not spelled correctly.· The initial letters spell the word H-O-W and serve as a reminder of how recovery is achieved through all one's relationships.· Of course, the letters O-W-E spelled a word, but Quinn was not ready to draw any conclusions.· Yesterday's letter spelled out Mr Patten's concern that councils were helping hostile groups fight opt outs with misinformation campaigns.
· Make sure it exists and that its name is spelled correctly.· Ask to have the name spelled and ask for the first name if it is not mentioned.· The phone rings at work one afternoon, and a man asks how I spell my name, so I spell it.· Two names in particular spelled trouble.
· This provision is not widely known to farmers, largely because the Departments have never taken sufficient trouble to spell it out.· She still has trouble with the spelling of some words.· It was too much trouble to spell out the sub-titles.
· There was much subsequent controversy about who invented the word and how to spell its derivatives.· The word went is often spelled yet.· That they find the way that words are spelled to be intriguing, and that they go through life noticing surprising spellings.
VERB· You write up the offered words, correctly, without asking how they are spelled.· Finally, she was asked to spell egalitarian, used to describe a belief in human equality.· If at all unsure, ask caller to spell it out. 3.· All he wants is to ask me to spell out the features of the new product.· The phone rings at work one afternoon, and a man asks how I spell my name, so I spell it.· Earlier, in the sixth round, Hulka got the giggles when the contest judges asked him to spell haggis.· I asked him to spell it.
· Gill has now started primary skool and is learning to spell.· So she had almost a whole year of the company of her peers and along with them learned to spell and count.· The daughter is playing with letters and learning how to spell.
· You may need to spell them out or check that they have been understood.· He needs to spell out why a tax cut is going to help the average family of four.· But the significance of what was at stake in this shift in terminology needs to be spelled out.· I need everything spelled out for me.· The rest of the remark he left unsaid, but it did not need spelling out.· Didn't need to have it spelled out.
· He tries to spell out how we do it.· He made wild tries at phonetic spelling.· On the other hand, since she was trying to spell through she was probably simply putting together badly-remembered letters.· Look at the Morse code chart and, using a torch, try to spell out your name.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRYPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► weave your magic/weave a spell
- After all, one case of the trots hardly spells disaster.
- Delegated authority without a meaningful consultation process would spell disaster for teacher morale, motivation, commitment and hence effectiveness.
- However, other investors said a difficult Diet session could spell trouble for bonds in the medium-term.
- Staff here say that would spell disaster for hundreds of alcoholics.
- Troubling developments For the reference-service industry, these developments spell trouble.
- Meriwether cast a spell over the young traders who worked for him.
- They said she cast spells on them.
- A spell checker, word count feature and thesaurus are all included and the program can handle headers and footers.
- However, a dictionary pack for PageMaker is available which contains PageMaker spell checker modules for 20 different languages.
- Some of these packages include excellent typographic extras, like a spell checker or thesaurus.
WORD FAMILYnounspellingspeller.misspellingverbspellmisspell
1[intransitive, transitive] to form a word by writing or naming the letters in order: How do you spell ‘juice’? Pupils should know how to spell commonly used words.spell something wrong/wrongly You’ve spelled my name wrong.2[transitive] if letters spell a word, they form it: B-O-O-K spells ‘book’. 'Love' is spelled L-O-V-E.3spell trouble/disaster/danger etc if a situation or action spells trouble etc, it makes you expect trouble etc: The lack of rain could spell disaster for farmers.4[transitive] American English to do someone else’s work for them for a short period so that they can rest: I can spell you if you get tired.spell something ↔ out phrasal verb1to explain something clearly and in detailspell out how/what etc The report spelled out in detail what the implications were for teacher training.2to show how a word is spelled by writing or saying the letters separately in order: ‘W-E-I-R,’ she said, spelling it out.3to write a word in its complete form instead of using an abbreviationspell1 verbspell2 noun
spellspell2 ●○○ noun [countable] WORD ORIGINspell2
Origin:
1,3-4 Old English ‘talk, story’2 1600-1700 spell ‘to take the place of another’ (11-21 centuries), from Old English spelianEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- After a brief spell in the army, I returned to teaching.
- Carmelina knew that the bird was really the handsome prince under a spell from the wicked witch.
- He's had a spell of bad luck recently.
- I've had a few dizzy spells lately.
- The Lilac Fairy cast a spell that sent Aurora to sleep.
- We had another cold spell last week.
- When the old man was angry, he threatened to put a spell on the whole tribe.
- A black witch, casting spells from her hiding-place in the corner.
- And in there is the Robemaker's cache of enchantments ... The stockroom of spells ... The necromancer's treasure-house.
- As a leading suffragette, she endured the first of two spells in Holloway gaol in 1907.
- I thought that, if we were to meet again, he would remove the spell that he had cast over me.
- Pick a spell of dry weather and travel light: you could be pleasantly surprised.
- They were not among the famous and the sought-after who gathered under the spell of the White City.
- We are just here for a spell and pass on.
THESAURUS
noun [uncountable] the power to make impossible things happen, by saying special words or doing special actions: · In the story, she uses magic to turn him into a frog.· Local people believe that he can heal wounds and illnesses using magic.
noun [uncountable] the use of magic, usually to do bad things: · Hundreds of women were accused of witchcraft in the 1600s.
noun [countable] a special set of words or actions that are used to make something happen by magic: · a magic spell· An evil witch cast a spell on him (=said a special set of words or did a special series of actions, in order to make something happen to someone by magic), turning him into a beast.
(also hex American English) noun [countable] something that makes someone or something have bad luck: · The house seemed to have a curse on it.· People believed the pharaoh would put a curse on (=use magic to make them have bad luck)anyone who broke into the tomb.· She believed her former husband had put a hex on her.
mysterious powers and events that involve magic and spirits: · He was very interested in the occult.
noun [uncountable] magical beliefs and practices used as a form of religion: · a voodoo curse· In Haiti, the people still practice voodoo.
Longman Language Activatorto be controlled by someone else · The whole town seems to be under the control of one family.· Almost three thousand troops are under Captain Marsh's control.· Roughly a quarter of the area came under Soviet control.
if you are in someone's power you have to do whatever they want you to do, especially because they have some emotional power over you - used especially in literature: · He'll do whatever I tell him to do. He's completely in my power.
if you are under someone's spell they have almost complete power over how you feel, the way you behave etc especially because you love or admire them very much: · Harry knew that he was in love with Susie, completely under her spell.come/fall under somebody's spell (=start to be under someone's spell): · She loves the company of showbiz personalities, and many have fallen under her spell.
if you are at someone's mercy they have the power to decide whether good or bad things happen to you: · Once in prison, inmates are at the guards' mercy.· Children often find themselves at the mercy of other kids who are older and bigger.to be at the mercy of somebody: · Small firms are completely at the mercy of the banks.
informal someone who lets other people treat them badly and who does not complain or try to change their situation: · Fiona was determined that she would be nobody's doormat.· Make sure he doesn't treat you like a doormat.
magic a secret power to make things happen or to do things that are normally impossible, by saying special words or doing special actions: · Do you believe in magic?· We only have limited knowledge about the practice of magic in the Middle Ages.by magic: · Angela clapped her hands and the cats disappeared as if by magic.
the use of magic to harm people and make bad things happen: · At that time, hundreds of women were burned at the stake for witchcraft.· People who were accused of practicing witchcraft were thrown into the lake.
the use of magic to make bad and evil things happen, often by groups of people who believe in it as a religion: · The papers were full of sensational reports on black magic, child killings, and drug raids by police.· Members of the group say they are not involved in devil worship or black magic.
words or actions that are used to make something magic happen: cast a spell (=to say words that will make something magic happen): · The Lilac Fairy cast a spell that sent Aurora to sleep.put a spell on somebody: · When the old man was angry, he threatened to put a spell on the whole tribe.under a spell (=affected by a spell): · Carmelina knew that the bird was really the handsome prince under a spell from the wicked witch.
spirits and magic, especially magic that involves communicating with evil spirits: · Throughout his life he maintained an interest in the occult.· By the late 1880s , the spreading fascination with the occult sparked a new direction among several young artists.
magical beliefs and practices that are used as a form of religion, especially in the Caribbean: · Jonnie said he was going to a voodoo ceremony that night.· a voodoo priest
a period of time especially written a particular length of time with a beginning and an end: period of: · These accounts are drawn up for a period of 52 weeks.· After a brief period of independence, Belorussia came under Soviet rule.for a period: · You shouldn't sit in front of a computer screen for long periods without a break.· Anne had difficulty holding down a job for any period of time.period of time: · The work had to be completed within a limited period of time.long/short period: · The company expects a growth in profitability over a longer period.· Then, within a short period, his mother, father, and brother all died.a ten-day/three-year etc period: · The money can be paid back over a five-year period.· The researchers observed mothers and their new infants for a three-day period.over a period: · The restoration of the ceiling was completed over a period of two years.during a period: · During this period, Tanya was making very little money.· black immigration into Britain during the post-war period
a period of time - use this especially to talk about a period in the past, or when you are not saying whether the period was long or short: · Bill had lost his job, and it was a difficult time for him.· I really enjoyed my time at university.at one time (=at a period of time in the past, but not now): · At one time, Hakami was ranked 32nd in the world.· Martin had been at one time a student at Leiden University in the Netherlands.for the time being (=for a short period of time, starting now): · You can stay in the spare room for the time being, until you find a place.· Entrance fees to the exhibit have been reduced for the time being.during that/this time: · He played for Barcelona for four years, and during that time they won two major competitions.for a time: · He chatted to us for a time, then left.· For a time, the 1,600 seater hall was home to a Saturday night film show, before being converted to a night club.after a time: · After a time, I began to feel more relaxed.· All systems settle down after a time.
a length of time that is officially fixed for someone's period of responsibility or power, for someone's period in prison, or for a business contract: · Mr Toplak had just started his term as vice-president of the company.· The Socialists are hoping to secure another term in government.· The bank says that they can extend the term of our mortgage.first/second etc term: · General Herrera was elected to a third term of office as President.· He hopes to visit China during his second term in office.7-year/2-month etc term: · He recently completed a two-year term as chairman.term of imprisonment (=formal): · Political dissidents are sentenced to long terms of imprisonment.prison/jail term: · She had her jail term cut for good behaviour.term of/in office (=term for holding an official position): · He is halfway into his term of office.· The Democrats are hoping to deny him a third term in office.fixed term (=when the term of a business or employment contract is set to a particular length): · The managers were all hired for a fixed term.serve a term: · Malik is now serving a three-year term in prison.· Elected members of the House of Assembly serve a six-year term.
a period of several weeks or months, at the same time every year, during which a particular activity takes place: · The Bulls would consider re-signing him next season.the 2001/2001-02 etc season: · Smith should own the record outright by the third or fourth game of the 2001 season.breeding/hunting/fishing/baseball etc season: · When does the baseball season start?· Foxes become very noisy at the height of the mating season.· The latest challenge is to promote the LSO's winter concert season.
a period of time between other periods, especially one during which there is not much activity or no interruptions: · During their worst stretch of 1996, the Padres lost 19 of their 23 games.· He spent several brief stretches in jail for minor offences.· This is the last game in a four-day stretch here at the Forum.stretch of time: · Sometimes between battles, there were long stretches of time when nothing happened.
informal a period of time doing a particular job or course, often quite a short period: · After a stint in the army, Bill worked in sales.· Krem began his career with the Victoria Symphony, followed by stints with orchestras in Winnipeg and Quebec.stint of: · Dimascio was promoted after serving a stint of five years as a sergeant pilot.a five-year/six-day etc stint: · He has changed his schedule to a three-day stint, which starts Friday.short/brief stint: · Rick was fired in August after a brief stint with a Portland courier service.do/serve a stint: · She served a two-year stint as an aide to Congressman Jim McNulty.· We should thank Mary for the long stint she's done as party treasurer.
a period of a particular type of activity, weather etc, usually a short period: · After a brief spell in the army, I returned to teaching.spell of: · He's had a spell of bad luck recently.a cold/wet/dry etc spell: · We had another cold spell last week.
British a short period of trouble, difficulty, or unhappiness, experienced by someone who is usually happy, successful etc: go through a bad patch (=experience a period of trouble etc): · He went through a bad patch after his wife died, but now he seems to be back to normal.hit a bad patch (=start to experience a period of trouble etc): · The team aren't doing so well at the moment are they? They seem to have hit a bad patch.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY Meaning 1adjectives She started to suffer from dizzy spells (=a short period when you feel dizzy). a book of magic spells sunny periods/spells/intervals (=periods when it is sunny)
· She found an ancient book of magic spells.
· The people still believe in evil spells.
verbs (=do some magic)· Suddenly everyone froze, as if a wizard had cast a spell on them.
(=do some magic)· She wove a spell, so that he slept forever and never grew old.
(=make magic affect someone)· The fairy put a terrible spell on the princess.
(=end the effect of some magic)· No one knew how to break the spell.
Meaning 2adjectives· After a brief spell in a florist's shop, she became a hairdresser.
· We have just had a long spell of unusually dry weather.
· Keep fuchsias well watered during prolonged dry spells in summer.
· There was a very cold spell in late November.
· Tuesday will be dry with sunny spells.
(=one when you feel unable to stand steadily and your head feels unclear)· She must have had a dizzy spell and fallen.
· The team had some good spells during the match.
(=when not much is happening)· We've had quite a quiet spell at work recently.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES (=time)· For a brief spell in early summer it is the most beautiful of all the trees.
(=a process in which a computer program tells you if you have spelt words wrong)· Have you done a spell check on your essay?
(=a period of cold weather, especially a short one)· We’re currently going through a bit of a cold spell.
(=the correct way of writing words)· Copying does not teach correct spelling.
(=cause something to end badly or fail)· Bad luck and the recession spelt disaster for her business.
She started to suffer from dizzy spells (=a short period when you feel dizzy). (=mean that something will not continue to exist)· Many people predicted that Internet growth would spell doom for the traditional media.
· You lose marks if your paper contains spelling errors.
a book of magic spells· She spotted two spelling mistakes in the article.
(=cause ruin for someone)· Unwise investment can spell financial ruin.
sunny periods/spells/intervals (=periods when it is sunny)· I didn’t do very well in the listening test.
(=mean there will be trouble)· They are now much more competitive, which can only spell trouble for their rivals.
· I always find that word hard to spell.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE· When you have a bad spell, the natural temptation is probably to become tied up in excuses.· A penalty point in his favour ended his bad spell and he plundered seven points in a row.
· The Rumanian talent was world number one for a brief spell in the same year.· Thornton had just left the Mirror Group after a brief but interesting spell in newspapers.· It was just a brief spell of ownership; the war meant petrol rationing.· Apart from the brief cold spell in late November, we have had very few hard frosts.· I should know by now that heavy drinkers are awfully fond of high-flown rationalisations for any brief spell of abstinence.· His bedside locker held the conglomerate of offerings, necessities and minor diversions considered indispensable to a brief spell in hospital.· Darwin met Robert Grant during a brief and unsuccessful spell as a medical student at Edinburgh.
· Apart from the brief cold spell in late November, we have had very few hard frosts.· Anyone can suffer a cold shooting spell.· Not even the yawning chasms in the road caused by freeze-thaw action during the recent cold spell can upset it.· They had moved in from the garden during a cold spell in November.· A cold spell simply halts flowering for a little while.· Here, a sharp cold spell in spring may produce a narrow growth ring.
· She must have had a dizzy spell.· The dizzy spells were increasing in frequency.· I was prompted to write when a customer sat on checkout ten following a dizzy spell.· After Allitt moved out of the Jobsons' home, his dizzy spells, craving for chocolate and sudden collapses had stopped.· If they are arthritic, their sight is poor, or they are subject to dizzy spells they may trip over the flex.
· Showers are expected over the whole country - but the south-east may get a dry spell on Saturday and Sunday.· Until I met Donna my social life was a dry spell.· East Anglia: Mostly dry with sunny spells.· The noonday sun beat down fiercely; dusty air carried the stink of rotting garlic after a prolonged dry spell.· That is the kind of dry spell some strikers not too distant from Ewood Park would sell their grandmother for.· Arizona is in the grip of one of its most severe dry spells of the past century.· Already, he says, it is worse than the drought of 1956, once considered the definitive Texas dry spell.· The dry spell is a real turn-around from recent rainy winters.
· That came in the middle of Wadkins' best spell.· Rod Wallace seems to be in his best spell of scoring since he came to Leeds.· Although he is suffering from a type of septicaemia, he is clearly having a good spell.· Lincoln are in the middle of a good spell, having won five of their last six matches.· And early September generally is set fair to be a good spell for holidays, says his latest bulletin.
· The end of a lean spell for Wilkinson has put Boro back on course for the all-important second spot.· That meant Christmas profits, which usually see the railway through the lean spell to April, were not available.
· Second, there must be a constant supply of water to the sward even during long spells of dry weather.· When I was in Saigon for long spells, and missing Lisa, the scene at the villa was a compensation.· Participants who smoked also had higher rates of short and long spells of sickness absence compared with non-smokers.· After a long and anxious spell, she recovered.· These are the pay and conditions which were imposed following the long spell of industrial action.· Believers in Wray, those who have kept the faith through the long dry spell, are at last well rewarded.· On close inspection it looks more like the second touring production of Absurd Person Singular after a long spell in Pitlochry.· Outlook: Further showers or longer spells of rain likely, some heavy, especially during the evening.
· Orkney casts a magic spell that never fades.· Mermaids, magic spells and a giant with a wart on his nose.· The magic spell touched Toulon too.· It was as if Polly had cast a magic spell.· A test as simple as a Detect Magic spell will show some stronger focus of magic above the ceiling of this chamber.· The Tzarina does not use the colour magic spells or any of the spell decks in Warhammer Battle Magic.· Instead she has her own Ice Magic spell deck which is reproduced here.· You may wish to photocopy these spells to make up an Ice Magic spell deck.
· A short spell of hard work in quiet surroundings would not be a bad thing.· Participants who smoked also had higher rates of short and long spells of sickness absence compared with non-smokers.· No one will benefit from such a short spell.· We assumed that for each participant the occurrence of short spells followed a Poisson distribution.· Considerable excess residual variation was found in the rate of sickness absence for short spells.· Thus, an illness that tends to require frequent short spells in hospital will appear to have a high incidence.· Jock laughingly informed me that when he had arrived in the area there had been a short quiet spell.· We found striking gradients in both short and long spells of sickness absence, with higher rates among employees with lower status.
· It traps the warmth of the odd sunny spell, and wards off the critical few degrees of cold.· General situation: Sunny spells with some drizzle.· Drier weather will follow south with sunny spells, particularly in the more eastern parts.· East Anglia: Mostly dry with sunny spells.· Drier with sunny spells for all areas on Thursday afternoon.· And the outlook for tomorrow's much the same: cloud in the east, sunny spells in the west.· Max temp 17C 63F. 4,7,10,11,12,13,15: Any early rain dying out overnight. Sunny spells tomorrow.· Max 16C 61F. 19,22,23,24,26,27,28: Fine but chilly night with local ground frost. Sunny spells on Sunday.
· We would pray for fine weather as a prolonged wet spell meant ruin for our efforts.· Prepare the ground with leaf-mould and a little bonemeal, and mulch with leaf-mould during a wet spell each summer.
NOUN· A spell checker, word count feature and thesaurus are all included and the program can handle headers and footers.· Some of these packages include excellent typographic extras, like a spell checker or thesaurus.· However, a dictionary pack for PageMaker is available which contains PageMaker spell checker modules for 20 different languages.
· Ironside's one-month loan spell will be completed after the home match against play-off outsiders Gillingham.· Gittens rounded off his loan spell with a crucial equaliser in the final-match decider at Wolves.· Reuser was a £1million signing from Vitesse Arnhem, after spending a loan spell at Ajax where he started his career.· Ironside had a seven-match loan spell at Scarborough before the transfer deadline.· Eight of his 40-goal tally last season came during Nevin's loan spell with Tranmere.
VERB· No more than usual, was the answer, but at last it was enough to break the spell.· Mrs Fanning had broken the spell of the wild and beautiful dancers.· The tiny sound of distress broke the spell and spurred Grant into action.· I feared my own words might break the spell of normalcy.· I, for one, would not break that spell, nor flaunt the laws that he has made.· The kiss of the prince breaks the spell of narcissism and awakens a womanhood which up to then has remained undeveloped.· He smiled at her and, in offering her reassurance, broke the spell that held them.· And again, louder, as if breaking a spell or casting one: Olppajin-saram.
· Their magical resistance does not affect magic weapons or other items, except for those which cast spells in the usual way.· They said she cast spells on them.· A black witch, casting spells from her hiding-place in the corner.· Had he cast a spell just then?· Orkney casts a magic spell that never fades.· Meriwether cast a spell over the young traders who worked for him.· I've seen the cauldrons that they used to cast their spells.· Aladdin refused, so the sorcerer cast a spell to close up the cave again.
· Gary Lineker is another top-class striker who clings keenly on to boots he's enjoying a scoring spell with.
· She fell momentarily under his spell and into his bed.· Lanikai is almost absurdly gorgeous, and even literal-minded scientists fall under its spell.· During this time he falls completely under its spell.· It is not necessary to explain to me why Anthony falls under the spell of a beautiful woman.· I fell under his freezing spell, obeying all his commands without thinking.· While Lisa initially considers her not-too-secret admirer a little strange, she quickly falls under his spell.· Hewitt, 34, fell under Diana's spell while teaching Princes William and Harry to ride.· Once Narcissus had fallen under the spell of Aphrodite he was lost.
· Drier weather will follow south with sunny spells, particularly in the more eastern parts.· When it comes it is often followed by a spell of cold weather late in March called the Blackthorn Winter.
· They are, in the most fundamental sense, magical: they weave spells, they conjure something out of nothing.· How long did it take to weave a spell?· She might even be weaving a spell to tangle her feet or make her lose her way in the wood!
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRYPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► weave your magic/weave a spell
1a piece of magic that someone does, or the special words or ceremonies used in doing it: - Only a kiss could break the spell.
- And if she took Johnny into the cottage, might this in some way break the spell and spoil the magic?
- He smiled at her and, in offering her reassurance, broke the spell that held them.
- I feared my own words might break the spell of normalcy.
- Mrs Fanning had broken the spell of the wild and beautiful dancers.
- No more than usual, was the answer, but at last it was enough to break the spell.
- Stepping off a chair with a rope around his neck and hanging there for a minute had broken the spell.
- The kiss of the prince breaks the spell of narcissism and awakens a womanhood which up to then has remained undeveloped.
- The tiny sound of distress broke the spell and spurred Grant into action.
- Meriwether cast a spell over the young traders who worked for him.
- They said she cast spells on them.
- A spell checker, word count feature and thesaurus are all included and the program can handle headers and footers.
- However, a dictionary pack for PageMaker is available which contains PageMaker spell checker modules for 20 different languages.
- Some of these packages include excellent typographic extras, like a spell checker or thesaurus.
a magic spellput/cast a spell on somebody (=do a piece of magic to change someone) The kiss of the prince broke the spell (=stopped the magic from working).be under a spell The whole town seemed to be under a spell.2a period of a particular kind of activity, weather, illness etc, usually a short periodbrief/short spell After a brief spell in the army, I returned to teaching.spell of a spell of bad luckcold/wet/dry spell Water the young plants carefully during dry spells. a day of sunny spells and scattered showers He began to suffer from dizzy spells.3a power that attracts, interests, and influences you very stronglyfall/come/be under a spell I fell under the spell of her charm. an ancient city that still casts its spell over travellers4break the spell to make someone stop paying all their attention to something, or to make a time stop feeling special: He lay still, not wanting to break the spell.COLLOCATIONS– Meaning 1adjectivesa magic spell· She found an ancient book of magic spells.an evil spell· The people still believe in evil spells.verbscast a spell (on somebody) (=do some magic)· Suddenly everyone froze, as if a wizard had cast a spell on them.weave a spell (=do some magic)· She wove a spell, so that he slept forever and never grew old.put a spell on somebody (=make magic affect someone)· The fairy put a terrible spell on the princess.break a spell (=end the effect of some magic)· No one knew how to break the spell.COLLOCATIONS– Meaning 2adjectivesa brief/short spell· After a brief spell in a florist's shop, she became a hairdresser.a long/prolonged spell· We have just had a long spell of unusually dry weather.a dry/wet spell· Keep fuchsias well watered during prolonged dry spells in summer.a cold/warm/hot spell· There was a very cold spell in late November.sunny spells· Tuesday will be dry with sunny spells.a dizzy/fainting spell (=one when you feel unable to stand steadily and your head feels unclear)· She must have had a dizzy spell and fallen.a good/bad spell· The team had some good spells during the match.a quiet spell (=when not much is happening)· We've had quite a quiet spell at work recently.