Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive verb To hold under or as if under a spell; enchant or fascinate.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To bind by or as if by a spell; hold under mental control or restraint; fascinate.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To bind or hold by, or as if by, a spell or charm; to entrance or fascinate, esp. by eloquence of speech, as in a political campaign.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb To attract one's attention as if by a magic spell.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb attract strongly, as if with a magnet
  • verb put into a trance
  • verb to render motionless, as with a fixed stare or by arousing terror or awe

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Back-formation from spellbound.]

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Examples

  • Rooster will spellbind you with a story that begins with the casual comment that he met the guy who built Stonehenge and slowly, deliriously has you listening with open-mouthed pleasure at being taken for a ride while he mentions 80 foot tall giants who can't always be trusted and the golden drum they gave him that he can pound on and call for their aid whenever he's in trouble.

    Michael Giltz: Theater: Saint Rylance Of "Jerusalem" Michael Giltz 2011

  • Rooster will spellbind you with a story that begins with the casual comment that he met the guy who built Stonehenge and slowly, deliriously has you listening with open-mouthed pleasure at being taken for a ride while he mentions 80 foot tall giants who can't always be trusted and the golden drum they gave him that he can pound on and call for their aid whenever he's in trouble.

    Michael Giltz: Theater: Saint Rylance Of "Jerusalem" Michael Giltz 2011

  • Previous editions of "Hard Knocks" have chronicled teams like the Baltimore Ravens, the Cowboys of Dallas and, of course, the 2007 Kansas City Chiefs, who would go on to spellbind the nation with a 4-12 season.

    The Year the Jets Tackled Television 2010

  • After all, there's no point in creating the collective insanity that is the cult of celebrity worship if you're not going to use the stars to spellbind their adoring public when called upon.

    OpEdNews - Diary: The New World Order, Verichip and the Microchip Agenda 2009

  • After all, there's no point in creating the collective insanity that is the cult of celebrity worship if you're not going to use the stars to spellbind their adoring public when called upon.

    Printing: The New World Order, Verichip and the Microchip Agenda 2009

  • There Heidegger spends two years slowly and painfully learning English, aching for the chance once again to spellbind seminar rooms of worshipfully attentive students.

    Archive 2009-02-01 enowning 2009

  • There Heidegger spends two years slowly and painfully learning English, aching for the chance once again to spellbind seminar rooms of worshipfully attentive students.

    enowning enowning 2009

  • There Heidegger spends two years slowly and painfully learning English, aching for the chance once again to spellbind seminar rooms of worshipfully attentive students.

    enowning enowning 2007

  • There Heidegger spends two years slowly and painfully learning English, aching for the chance once again to spellbind seminar rooms of worshipfully attentive students.

    Archive 2007-11-01 enowning 2007

  • Really, its ability to refresh, rejuvenate, elate, spellbind can not be exaggerated.

    Archive 2007-07-01 tannaz 2007

Comments

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  • Looks German to me.

    October 31, 2009

  • Ain’t.

    October 31, 2009

  • Looks like English to me. ;)

    October 31, 2009

  • The two German words “binden�? (“to bind�?) and “Spelunke�? come to mind (the latter with some effort). It’s a strange dated word for a small very filthy pub or dive, similar to a “Kaschemme�? only that this word is even more obscure in my view (I can’t remember ever having heard it before) and the thing it denotes even more filthy.

    And then there is of course “Speläologie�? == “Speleology�?.

    November 1, 2009