telltale

tell·tale

noun \ˈtel-ˌtāl\

Definition of TELLTALE

1

a : talebearer, informer b : an outward sign : indication

2

: a device for indicating or recording something: as a : a wind-direction indicator often in the form of a ribbon b : a strip of metal on the front wall of a racquets or squash court above which the ball must be hit

— telltale adjective

Examples of TELLTALE

1. <the media's professional telltales have basically decided that today's celebrities have no right to privacy>
2. <the department telltale told the boss that his coworkers were taking extra long breaks>

First Known Use of TELLTALE

circa 1548

Related to TELLTALE

Synonyms: circulator, gossiper, gossipmonger, newsmonger, quidnunc, talebearer, tale-teller, gossip, yenta

Related Words: betrayer, blabbermouth, informant, informer, snitcher, squealer, stool pigeon, tattler, tattletale; libeler, scandalmonger

see all synonyms and antonyms

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Rhymes with TELLTALE

abseil, airmail, all hail, assail, avail, bake sale, bangtail, blackmail, blacktail, bobtail, broadscale, broadtail, bucktail, bud scale, canaille, cattail, chain mail, coattail, cocktail, contrail, curtail, derail, detail, doornail, dovetail, downscale, ducktail, e-mail, entail, exhale, fan mail, fantail, female, fife rail, fire sale, fishtail, folktale, foresail, foxtail, fresh gale, full-scale, gapped scale, Glendale, gray scale, greenmail, guardrail, Hallel, handrail, hangnail, headsail, hightail, hobnail, horntail, horsetail, impale, inhale, junk mail, Longueuil, lugsail, mainsail, mare's tail, Mondale, moon snail, oxtail, pass-fail, percale, pigtail, pintail, pinwale, plate rail, pot ale, prevail, rattail, regale, resale, rescale, retail, right whale, ringtail, Sangreal, Scottsdale, sea kale, shavetail, shirttail, skysail, slop pail, small-scale, snail mail, soft hail, split rail, springtail, spritsail, square sail, staysail, strong gale, surveil, swordtail, taffrail, tag sale, third rail, thumbnail, timescale, toenail, topsail, travail, trysail, unnail, unveil, upscale, ventail, voice mail, wage scale, wagtail, wassail, whiptail, white sale, whitetail, white whale, whole gale, wholesale, yard sale