SPELL OUT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does spell out mean? 

• SPELL OUT (verb)
  The verb SPELL OUT has 3 senses:

1. make explicit; specify in detail

2. spell fully and without abbreviating

3. orally recite the letters of or give the spelling of

  Familiarity information: SPELL OUT used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SPELL OUT (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Make explicit; specify in detail

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Context example:

You should spell out your demands

Hypernyms (to "spell out" is one way to...):

particularise; particularize; specialise; specialize; specify (be specific about)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

Sense 2

Meaning:

Spell fully and without abbreviating

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Context example:

Can you spell out your middle name instead of just giving the initial?

Hypernyms (to "spell out" is one way to...):

spell; write (write or name the letters that comprise the conventionally accepted form of (a word or part of a word))

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 3

Meaning:

Orally recite the letters of or give the spelling of

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

spell; spell out

Context example:

We had to spell out our names for the police officer

Hypernyms (to "spell out" is one way to...):

recite (repeat aloud from memory)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "spell out"):

misspell (spell incorrectly)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

 Context examples 

Advance directives are legal documents that allow you to spell out your decisions about end-of-life care ahead of time.

(Advance Directives, NIH: National Cancer Institute)