Spellcheckers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A software tool designed to detect and correct spelling errors in written text
2. An application that highlights misspelled words and suggests alternatives for correct spelling
3. A digital resource aiding users in proofreading by ensuring proper word usage and spelling accuracy

Etymology: "Spellcheckers" is simply the plural of "spellchecker," so it describes more than one of these programs. The base word is a compound of "spell" and "checker." "Spell" comes from Old English "spellian," meaning to relate or tell in order, and it later came to mean forming letters into words. "Checker" is the agent noun from "check," which traces back to Old French "eschec," the term for the chess king being under attack, and it gradually broadened to mean verifying something against a standard. Put together, a spellchecker is something that verifies the letters of a word against a standard.

Synonyms: spell checkers, spell tools