- [countable] a short period of time during which something lasts
- We had a spell of warm weather in April.
- a cold spell
- There will be rain at first, with sunny spells later.
- She went to the doctor complaining of dizzy spells.
Extra ExamplesTopics Timec1- He's going through a bit of a bad spell at the moment.
- She managed to write a letter during a quiet spell at work.
- The children began having dizzy spells from hunger.
- Viera ended his barren spell with a goal against Parma.
- a spell of sunny weather
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- lengthy
- long
- prolonged
- …
- go through
- have
- during a… spell
- spell as
- a spell of … weather
- [countable] a period of time doing something or working somewhere
- She had a spell as a singer before becoming an actress.
- I spent a brief spell on the Washington Post.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- lengthy
- long
- prolonged
- …
- go through
- have
- during a… spell
- spell as
- a spell of … weather
- [countable] words that are thought to have magic power or to make a piece of magic work; a piece of magic that happens when somebody says these magic words synonym enchantment (3)
- a magic spell
- a book of spells
- The wizard recited a spell.
- to cast/put a spell on somebody
- under a spell to be under a spell (= affected by magic)
Extra Examples- She uttered the magic word, and the spell was broken.
- Sleeping Beauty was under a spell when the prince found her.
- The witch cast a spell on them.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- magic
- magical
- powerful
- …
- be under
- come under
- fall under
- …
- book
- under a/the spell
- under somebody’s spell
- [singular] a quality that a person or thing has that makes them so attractive or interesting that they have a strong influence on you synonym charm
- I completely fell under her spell.
- It was a magic night until the spell was broken.
- Since last century the spell of the pyramids has drawn tourists to Egypt.
Extra Examples- This place had woven its spell over them.
- the hypnotic spell of the cicadas singing in the trees
- The audience was completely under his spell.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- magic
- magical
- powerful
- …
- be under
- come under
- fall under
- …
- book
- under a/the spell
- under somebody’s spell
Word Originnoun senses 1 to 2 late 16th cent.: variant of dialect spele ‘take the place of’, of unknown origin. The early sense of the noun was ‘shift of relief workers’. noun senses 3 to 4 Old English spel(l) ‘narration’, of Germanic origin.
Idioms
See spell in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee spell in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishweave a spell (over somebody) | weave your magic
- (especially British English) to perform or behave in a way that is attractive or interesting, or that makes somebody behave in a particular way
- Japan is gradually weaving a spell over me.
Check pronunciation:
spell