Now dial. Also 6–9 spel, 7 spelle. [Perh. a later form of SPELD sb., but cf. G. spellen to split, cleave.]
1. A splinter, chip, fragment.
1545. Ascham, Toxoph., II. (Arb.), 121. To swadle a bowe much about wyth bandes, verye seldome dothe anye good, excepte it be to kepe downe a spel in the backe.
1591. Harington, Orl. Fur., XIX. lxi. The speares in spels and sundry peeces flew As if they had beene little sticks or cane.
1610. Markham, Masterp., II. cli. 450. This will heale any bone or spell, or any other stubbe.
1612. Ench. Med., 100. Remoue the sharpe spels and splinters of bones.
1674. Ray, N. Co. Words, 44. A Spell or speal, a Splinter.
1815. Farey, Derbyshire, I. 250. Large Slapits, Spels, or fragments fly off, sometimes with loud explosions.
1829–. in northern glossaries.
2. A bar, rail or rung.
1559. Dunmow Churchw. MS., 43. Item, to John Hutt for spells for the bells, iid ob.
1641. Best, Farm. Bks. (Surtees), 15. To a barre belongeth two heads,… into which the 4 spelles are to bee putte…; the spelles are usually 6, 7, or sometimes 8 foote in length.
1796. W. H. Marshall, Yorksh. (ed. 2), II. 346. Spel (vulg. speyl); a bar.
1847–. in dial. glossaries (Linc., Yks., Cumb.).
1864. Gilbert & Churchill, Dolomite Mount., 230. Upon a face of rock were two long beams of wood, with, instead of spells, notches cut in the timbers at irregular intervals.
3. The trap used in the game of spell and knur (also knor, null, etc.). Cf. KNUR 3.
1781. J. Hutton, Tour to Caves (ed. 2), Gloss. 96. Spel-and-knor, the game of trap-stick.
a. 1809. Holcroft, Mem. (1816), I. 61. Spell and null, bandy, prison-bars, and other field games.
1816. Sporting Mag., XLVIII. 178. The games most common at Newmarket, were fives, spell and null, marbles, [and] chuck-farthing.
1828. Carr, Craven Gloss.
1862. C. C. Robinson, Dial. Leeds, 337–8. Underneath at the four corners, are ‘prods’ wherewith the ‘spell’ is fixed into the earth.
1868. N. & Q., 4th Ser. I. 325/2.
