Emily Dickinson Lexicon

speechless, adv. [see speech, n.]

Silently; without verbal expression.

speed (sped), v. [OE 'to prosper, succeed'.] (webplay: mightiest).

1. Leave; hurry away; go with haste; move quickly.
2. Succeed; accomplish; carry out; provide one with something.
3. Discharge; give speed; provide motion.

speedily, adv. [see speed, v.]

Quickly; hastily; hurriedly; rapidly.

spell, n. [OE 'gossip, recital, tale'.] (webplay: syllable, tell, word).

1. Mysterious power; fascinating charm; Magically powerful formula of words.
2. Way of spelling a word.

spell (-ed), v. [OE 'talk, discourse'.] (webplay: cant, God, know, orthography, place, tell, time, word).

1. Say; enunciate; pronounce by speaking aloud letter by letter.
2. Utter; declare; state; recite; repeat; [fig.] understand by study.

spend (-ing, -s, spent), v. [OE < L. expenděre. weigh out, pay out, dispense.] (webplay: fatigue, pass, waste, wealth).

1. Pay; expend money, goods, etc.
2. Exhaust; consume; deplete; use up; wear out; lose through expenditure.
3. Use; employ; utilize; make use of.
4. Occupy; pass.

sperm, n. [OFr < L. < Gk. 'to sow'.]

Spermaceti; white, fatty, waxlike substance taken from the oil in the head of a sperm whale or related cetacean; cetyl palmitate and other esters of fatty acids, and used in making ointments, cosmetics, and candles.

sphere (-s), n. [OFr < Gk. 'ball'.] (webplay: earth, sun).

1. Globe; ball; orb; round form.
2. Star; planet; celestial body.
3. Domain; home; area of activity.
4. Standard of comparison; difference in rank, intelligence, etc.

spheric, adj. [see sphere, n.] (webplay: drop).

[Modifying the noun “forces”] circular; encircling; whirling; [fig.] sunny; atmospheric; pertaining to the weather; [adv. modifying the verb “wind”] cyclically; in a spiral; in a swirling pattern; like an orbit of heavenly bodies.

spice (-s, -'s), n. [Fr. epice; It. spezie; Sp. especia.] (webplay: small).

1. Secretion; fragrant oil; nectar from the petal of a flower to attract insects and birds; aromatic substance; flavor.
2. Piquant object; thing of interest; [fig.] flower.
3. Something that entices; article providing zest.
4. Fragrant vegetable production.
5. [Fig.] Poignant feelings. 1546 Some spice's mutiny