spelldown

[ spel-doun ]

noun

1. a spelling competition that begins with all the contestants standing and that ends when all but one, the winner, have been required to sit down due to a specified number of misspellings.

Word History and Origins

Origin of spelldown¹

1940–45, Americanism; from phrase spell down to outspell others in a spelling match

Example Sentences

The 281 kids gathered for the bee socialize outside their cutthroat spelldown.

From Time