Main Entry:

tale

Pronunciation:

\ˈtāl\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle English, from Old English talu; akin to Old Norse tala talk

Date:

before 12th century

1obsolete : discourse, talk2 a: a series of events or facts told or presented : account b (1): a report of a private or confidential matter <dead men tell no tales> (2): a libelous report or piece of gossip3 a: a usually imaginative narrative of an event : story b: an intentionally untrue report : falsehood <always preferred the tale to the truth — Sir Winston Churchill>4 a: count, tally b: total