- plural of tale.
tales
Americannoun
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(used with a plural verb) persons chosen to serve on the jury when the original panel is insufficiently large: originally selected from among those present in court.
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(used with a singular verb) the order or writ summoning such jurors.
noun
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(functioning as plural) a group of persons summoned from among those present in court or from bystanders to fill vacancies on a jury panel
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(functioning as singular) the writ summoning such jurors
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of tales
1300–50; Middle English < Medieval Latin tālēs ( dē circumstantibus ) such (of the bystanders)
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Yet amid the “tell-all” tales, there is also more than a little soul-searching.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
First published in 1926, Milne's story, illustrated by Ernest Howard Shepard, followed the tales of Christopher Robin and his friends, including Piglet, Tigger and Eeyore.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
Most of Workman’s tales are fact-based and reenacted with puppets, although she also stumbles off-site to her local dive bar or her apartment for occasional “Interview with a Demon” segments.
From Salon ● Oct. 2, 2026
In honor of Slate’s 30th anniversary, Luke waded into the comments section and discovered tales of love, loss, and a vanishing form of online community.
From Slate ● Sep. 23, 2026
“To my cousins, or your tales sister in Vienna. We will get a letter when the mail begins to come again.”
From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
