a spell
A while; an indefinite stretch of time.
Also called for a spell.
Updated September 21, 2026
a spell pronunciation
/uh SPELL/
Meaning
Means a period of time without pinning it to minutes. "Sit a spell" asks you to stay a bit. "A cold spell" is a stretch of weather. "A sinking spell" is a short bout of feeling poorly. It is not about magic charms in this use.
How folks use it
- “Come up on the porch and sit a spell.”
- “We had a dry spell that nearly killed the garden.”
Origin and etymology
From an older English sense of spell as a turn at work or a stretch of duty. By the 1700s it widened to any stretch of time. Southern and Appalachian talk kept that everyday use strong.
Frequently asked questions
Does "a spell" mean witchcraft?
Not here. In this talk it means a while, or a stretch of weather or feeling.