spell out

spell out
{v.} 1. To say or read aloud the letters ot a word, one by one; spell. * /John could not understand the word the teacher was saying, so she spelled it out on the blackboard./ 2. To read slowly, have trouble in understanding. * /The little boy spelled out the printed words./ 3. {informal} To explain something in very simple words; explain very clearly. * /The class could not understand the problem, so the teacher spelled it out for them./ * /Before the game the coach spelled out to the players what he wanted them to do./ Compare: WORDS OF ONE SYLLABLE.

Dictionary of American idioms. 2013.

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  • spell out — (something) to explain something in detail. Students have been given a fact sheet that spells out how AIDS is transferred. The company has a very strict dress code, and they spell it out for you when you start working there …   New idioms dictionary

  • spell out — [v] clarify, explain break down, brief, clear up, clue in, decipher, decode, define, describe, diagram, draw a map*, expound, fill someone in*, get across*, go into detail, illustrate, interpret, justify, make plain*, point out, put across, put… …   New thesaurus

  • spell out — index clarify, comment, define, describe, elucidate, enlighten, explain, explicate, exposit …   Law dictionary

  • spell out — verb 1. make explicit; specify in detail (Freq. 8) You should spell out your demands • Hypernyms: ↑specify, ↑particularize, ↑particularise, ↑specialize, ↑specialise • …   Useful english dictionary

  • spell out — phrasal verb [transitive] Word forms spell out : present tense I/you/we/they spell out he/she/it spells out present participle spelling out past tense spelt out or spelled out past participle spelt out or spelled out 1) informal to say or explain …   English dictionary

  • spell out — 1) PHRASAL VERB If you spell something out, you explain it in detail or in a very clear way. [V P n (not pron)] Be assertive and spell out exactly how you feel... [V n P] How many times do I have to spell it out? 2) see spell 1) …   English dictionary

  • spell out — verb a) To form (a word) from its component letters. He used Scrabble tiles to spell out I LOVE YOU . b) To explain in a simple and understandable manner. Im sorry but I cant spell it out for you, because the whole issue is not that simple. Syn:… …   Wiktionary

  • spell out — phr verb Spell out is used with these nouns as the object: ↑detail …   Collocations dictionary

  • spell out — allow us to spell out the plan in detail Syn: explain, make clear, make plain, elucidate, clarify; specify, itemize, detail, enumerate, list, expound, particularize, catalog …   Thesaurus of popular words

  • spell out something — spell out (something) to explain something in detail. Students have been given a fact sheet that spells out how AIDS is transferred. The company has a very strict dress code, and they spell it out for you when you start working there …   New idioms dictionary

  • spell out — Synonyms and related words: account for, adduce, allegorize, amplify, anatomize, atomize, circumstantiate, cite, clarify, clear up, complete, construe, crack, decipher, demonstrate, demythologize, descend to particulars, detail, document,… …   Moby Thesaurus

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