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View synonyms for

tale

[ teyl ]

noun

  1. a narrative that relates the details of some real or imaginary event, incident, or case; story:

    a tale about Lincoln's dog.

  2. a literary composition having the form of such a narrative.
  3. a falsehood; lie.
  4. a rumor or piece of gossip, often malicious or untrue.
  5. the full number or amount.
  6. Archaic. enumeration; count.
  7. Obsolete. talk; discourse.


tale

/ ٱɪ /

noun

  1. a report, narrative, or story
  2. 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

  3. a fictitious or false statement
  4. tell tales
    1. to tell fanciful lies
    2. to report malicious stories, trivial complaints, etc, esp to someone in authority
  5. tell a tale
    to reveal something important
  6. tell its own tale
    to be self-evident
  7. archaic.
    1. a number; amount
    2. computation or enumeration
  8. an obsolete word for talk
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word 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
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Word 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
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Idioms and Phrases

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

Examples have not been reviewed.

It's really made Canada a cautionary tale about what not to be.

From

And the creators are perhaps too enthralled by the oddity of his tale.

From

This is a tale James Gillespie kept hearing.

From

Many see it as just the latest chapter in an age-old tale of U.S. aggression.

From

Given that his old ally Hegseth fired him and is now recommending he be prosecuted, Caldwell’s tale doesn’t pass the laugh test.

From

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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