TELLTALE Definition & Meaning

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telltale

[tel-teyl]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a person who heedlessly or maliciously reveals private or confidential matters; tattler; talebearer.
a thing serving to reveal or disclose something.
any of various indicating or registering devices, as a time clock.
Music.��a gauge on an organ for indicating the air pressure.
an indicator showing the position of a ship's rudder.
a row of strips hung over a track to warn train crew members on freight trains that a low bridge, tunnel, or the like is approaching.
Yachting.��(on a sailboat) a feather, string, or similar device, often attached to the port and starboard shrouds and to the backstay, to indicate the relative direction of the wind.
Squash.��a narrow piece of metal across the front wall of a court, parallel to and extending 17 inches (43.2 centimeters) above the base: a ball striking this is an out.

adjective

that reveals or betrays what is not intended to be known.
a telltale blush.
giving notice or warning of something, as a mechanical device.

telltale

/ ˈ��ɛ��ˌ�ٱ�ɪ�� /

noun

a person who tells tales about others
1. an outward indication of something concealed
2. ( as modifier )
  a telltale paw mark
any of various indicators or recording devices used to monitor a process, machine, etc
nautical
1. another word for dogvane
2. one of a pair of light vanes mounted on the main shrouds of a sailing boat to indicate the apparent direction of the wind

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Other 51�Թ� Forms

telltalely adverb

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of telltale¹

First recorded in 1540–50; tell ¹ + tale

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

From the top of the dunes, the four of us watched the launchpad for telltale signs of exhaust.

From

Infants may not display the telltale whooping cough, but turn blue, red or gag due to difficulty breathing.

From

People can spread measles to others from four days before the disease’s telltale rash appears through four days afterward, according to the CDC.

From

When they found a dead or dying cow with telltale signs of wolf “depredation,” ranchers could alert the state and a representative would come out to investigate.

From

Exposure to the acid causes serious neurological issues in sea lions, including seizures, disorientation and a telltale head-tilting behaviour known as "stargazing."

From

tell someone where to get off tell tales

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