tale

[teyl]

noun

1. a narrative that relates the details of some real or imaginary event, incident, or case; story.

   a tale about Lincoln's dog.

2. a literary composition having the form of such a narrative.

3. a falsehood; lie.

4. a rumor or piece of gossip, often malicious or untrue.

5. the full number or amount.

6. Archaic.,  enumeration; count.

7. Obsolete.,  talk; discourse.

tale

/ teɪl /

noun

1. a report, narrative, or story

2. one of a group of short stories connected by an overall narrative framework

3. 1. a malicious or meddlesome rumour or piece of gossip

      to bear tales against someone

   2. ( in combination )

      talebearer

      taleteller

4. a fictitious or false statement

5. 1. to tell fanciful lies

   2. to report malicious stories, trivial complaints, etc, esp to someone in authority

6. to reveal something important

7. to be self-evident

8. archaic

   1. a number; amount

   2. computation or enumeration

9. an obsolete word for talk

Word History and Origins

Origin of tale¹

before 900; Middle English; Old English talu series, list, narrative, story; cognate with Dutch taal speech, language, German Zahl number, Old Norse tala number, speech. See tell ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of tale¹

Old English talu list; related to Old Frisian tele talk, Old Saxon, Old Norse tala talk, number, Old High German zala number

Idioms and Phrases

see old wives' tale; tall tale; tell tales; thereby hangs a tale.

Example Sentences

For Bangladesh, it was a tale of missed chances.

Read more on Barron's

Yalta is the perfect cautionary tale: Stalin’s influence condemned Eastern Europe to 45 years of communist tyranny.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

His tale is one among hundreds in the documentary highlighting just how much of a people-pleaser Candy was.

Read more on Salon

Two familiar foes will contest the showpiece event of the Super League season, but this year it could be a very different tale.

Read more on BBC

Instead of the typical rock-star tale that relives the glory days and gives short shrift to the rest, the former Black Sabbath frontman chose to lay bare his recent medical struggles in grisly detail.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• account 
• anecdote 
• fable 
• fiction 
• legend 
• myth 
• narrative 
• novel 
• short story 
• yarn