Part 632

Darts, which not the good could shun, The speedy ould outfly.

Dryden.

Speer (?), n. A sphere. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Speer, v. t. To ask. [Scot.] See Spere.

Speet (?), v. t. [Cf. D. speten. See Spit an iron prong.] To stab. [Obs.] Gammer Gurton's Needle.

Speight (?), n. [G. specht, probably akin to L. picus: cf. D. specht. √169. See Pie a magpie.] (Zoöl.) A woodpecker; -- called also specht, spekt, spight. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]

Speir (?), v. i. To ask. See Spere. Sir W. Scott.

Speis`ko"balt (?), n. [G.] Smaltite.

Speiss (?), n. [Cf. G. speise food, mixed metal for bells, etc.] (Metal.) A regulus consisting essentially of nickel, obtained as a residue in fusing cobalt and nickel ores with silica and sodium carbonate to make smalt.

Spek"boom (?), n. [D., lit. fat tree.] (Bot.) The purslane tree of South Africa, -- said to be the favorite food of elephants. Balfour (Cyc. of India).

Speke (?), v. i. & t. To speak. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Speke"house` (?), n. The parlor or reception room of a convent. [Obs.]

Spel"ding (?), 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.]

Spel"i*cans (?), n. pl. See Spilikin.

Spelk (?), 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.

Spell (?), 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.

Spell, 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.

Spell, 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.

A spell at the wheel is called a trick.

Ham. Nav. Encyc.

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.

Nothing new has happened in this quarter, except the setting in of a severe spell of cold weather.

Washington.

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

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

Garew.

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

Spell (?), 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.