Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun One that holds others spellbound, especially an enthralling speaker or a particularly interesting book.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun Something that is
spellbinding , that causesrapt attention .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun an orator who can hold his listeners spellbound
Etymologies
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Examples
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The poll tax was high, the enthusiasm of the average partisan was seldom more than lukewarm, and the task of the "spellbinder" was an uphill job.
In the days of my youth when I was a student in the University of Virginia, 1888-1893. James Powell Cocke 1947
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It is all very well for the "spellbinder" to claim all the precincts -- the official count is just ahead.
The Art of Public Speaking Dale Carnagey 1906
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Based on a best-selling novel by Michael Connelly, Lincoln Lawyer is a shrewd legal thriller that is as much detective story as courtroom spellbinder.
Marshall Fine: HuffPost Review: The Lincoln Lawyer Marshall Fine 2011
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On pages 1431-1433 of the 1990 spellbinder, there is a financial incentive for states to try “alternative medical liability laws.”
Nancy Pelosi’s non-tort reform. - Moe_Lane’s blog - RedState 2009
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Portraying the man and hero as human while keeping the comic-book action at full speed, each animated adventure is a fast-paced spellbinder.
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Maybe that's why lefty Layton, who's not exactly a spellbinder he looks more like a friendly Safeway manager has pulled ahead of the professorial-looking Ignatieff in many polls.
Bill Mann: What I've Learned From Canada's Election Campaign Bill Mann 2011
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Tracey Ullman, right, also making an overdue return to the London stage, is enigmatic and charismatic as the mysterious Miss Lambert: she rightly leaves you guessing whether the character is a natural spellbinder or the wicked witch of the West End.
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He doesn't hot-dog with his storytelling, and he's so understated you can't really call him a spellbinder.
'Chart Toppers of 1349': Reaching for the stars at Capital Fringe Festival 2010
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Loved the last couple of posts too, especially the spellbinder process!
Vintage Work : Art Test for "The Spectacular Spider Man" (2007) Thomas Perkins 2010
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His policy in Korea—his determined effort to keep the conflict in bounds—had not been scuttled, however great the aura of the hero-general, or his powers as a spellbinder.
Truman Fires MacArthur David McCullough 2010
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