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definitions

tattletale

[ tat-l-teyl ]
/ ˈtæt lˌteɪl /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR tattletale ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a talebearer or informer, especially among children.

adjective

telltale; revealing: a tattletale smear of lipstick on his collar.

RELATED WORDS

fink, stoolie, gossip, troublemaker, talebearer, telltale, tattler, rumormonger, informer, quidnunc, blabbermouth, snitch, tabby, rat, taleteller, windbag, squealer, busybody, blabber, scandalmonger

Nearby words

  1. tattie-bogle,
  2. tattie-peelin,
  3. tatting,
  4. tattle,
  5. tattler,
  6. tattletale gray,
  7. tattoo,
  8. tattva,
  9. tatty,
  10. tatum

Origin of tattletale

An Americanism dating back to 1885–90; tattle + tale
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for tattletale

  • He wanted a dog to help him hunt, but he did not want a tattletale.

    The Magic Speech Flower|Melvin Hix

  • Course, I didn't need to worry, because Stinky told them all right, just like a tattletale.

    We Didn't Do Anything Wrong, Hardly|Roger Kuykendall

  • That First Lieutenant of ours either has eyes in the back of his head or else the Sergeant is a tattletale.

    Conscript 2989|Irving Crump

British Dictionary definitions for tattletale

tattletale

/ (ˈtætəlˌteɪl) /

noun mainly US and Canadian

a scandalmonger or gossip
another word for telltale (def. 1)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for tattletale

tattletale

n.

formed in English 1888 from tattle + tale. Probably patterned on telltale (1540s). A 16c. word for "tattle-tale" was pickthank.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper