g. -spelles; pl. nom. acc. -spell, -spellu; n. [big, bí, spell a history] A by-history, a parable, fable, example, proverb, story; parabola, fabula, exemplum, proverbium, narratio :-- Gehýre ge ðæs sáwendan bigspell vos audite parabolam seminantis, Mt. Bos. 13, 18. Ic ahylde on bigspelle eáre mín inclinabo in parabolam aurem meam, Ps. Spl. 48, 4. Ealle ðás þing se Hǽlend spræc mid bigspellum to ðám weredum; and nán þing ne spræc he bútan bigspellum hæc omnia locutus est Iesus in parabolis ad turbas; et sine parabolis non loquebatur eis, Mt. Bos. 13, 34, 35: Ps. Lamb. 48, 5. Bigspellu, acc. pl. Lchdm. iii. 214, 15. He him rehte bíspell bí ðære sunnan he related to him a parable of the sun, Bt. titl. vi; Fox x. 12. Ðeáh we sculon manega and mistlíce bísna and bíspell reccan though we should relate many and various examples and fables, Bt. 35, 5; Fox 166, 13, 19. Gehýr sum bíspell hear an example, 37, 3; Fox 190, 21: 39, 6; Fox 220, 21. Þurh bigspell and bigcwidas in proverbium et fabulam, Deut. 28, 37. We sculon ðé sum bíspell reccan we will relate a story to thee, Bt. 35, 6; Fox 166, 27: Bt. Met. Fox 23, 17; Met. 23, 9. [Kil. bijspel: Ger. beispiel, n: M. H. Ger. bíspel, n.] DER. bigspell-bóc. big-spell