See Also: TALE, Eng(law)
Tale(medicine)
day-tale(dictionary)
tale(1)(dictionary)
tale(2)(dictionary)
Tale of a Tub, A(dictionary)
tale(dictionary)
tell-tale(dictionary)
fairy tale(dictionary)
Clostridium tale(medicine)

tell-tale (iou)



tell-tale noun & adjective. M16.
[from TELL verb + TALE noun.]
A. noun.
A person who or thing which reveals something not intended to be made known; spec. (a) a person who discloses (esp. discreditable) information about another's private affairs or behaviour, a tale-bearer, a tattler (also nursery & colloq., tell-tale-tit); (b) a small hidden object placed so that its disturbance reveals any intrusion. M16.
b. Any of various sandpipers whose loud alarm call scatters ducks and other game-birds, esp. (US) a yellowlegs. E19.
A device for the automatic monitoring or registering of a process etc.; an indicator, a gauge; spec. (a) Building a piece of glass or clear plastic, often graduated, fixed over a crack in a building to reveal any further movement in the fabric; (b) a light on the dashboard of a motor vehicle showing when the direction indicator or main-beam lights are in use. E19.
b. attrib. or as adjective. That tells tales, that is a tell-tale. L16.
D. Barlow Careful examination will reveal the tell-tale nits attached to the hairs.