TALE Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

View synonyms for

tale

[ teyl ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a narrative that relates the details of some real or imaginary event, incident, or case; story:
a tale about Lincoln's dog.
a literary composition having the form of such a narrative.
a falsehood; lie.
a rumor or piece of gossip, often malicious or untrue.
the full number or amount.
Archaic. enumeration; count.
Obsolete. talk; discourse.

tale

/ �ٱ�ɪ�� /

noun

a report, narrative, or story
one of a group of short stories connected by an overall narrative framework
1. a malicious or meddlesome rumour or piece of gossip
  to bear tales against someone
2. ( in combination )
  talebearer
  taleteller
a fictitious or false statement
tell tales
1. to tell fanciful lies
2. to report malicious stories, trivial complaints, etc, esp to someone in authority
tell a tale
to reveal something important
tell its own tale
to be self-evident
archaic.
1. a number; amount
2. computation or enumeration
an obsolete word for talk

Discover More

�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of tale¹

before 900; Middle English; Old English talu series, list, narrative, story; cognate with Dutch taal speech, language, German Zahl number, Old Norse tala number, speech. See tell ¹

Discover More

�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of tale¹

Old English talu list; related to Old Frisian tele talk, Old Saxon, Old Norse tala talk, number, Old High German zala number

Discover More

Idioms and Phrases

see old wives' tale ; tall tale ; tell tales ; thereby hangs a tale .

Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Here are a few tales to whet your appetite - or perhaps put you off your dinner.

From

Their tender love story is juxtaposed against a much more tragic tale.

From

There are also the "richly-woven border tales" of Inyo, whose song titles - including The Aztec Dance and Ciudad Juarez - suggest a Latin American influence.

From

Like every good terminal-illness tale, however, “Dying for Sex” is also very much about love.

From

The Southern California properties come with tales that go back more than a century.

From

Related �y��vlogs

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Browse