tattletale

[ tat-l-teyl ]
/ ˈtæt lˌteɪl /
SEE 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.

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to call out to in order to stop, attract attention, ask aid, etc.
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Origin of tattletale

An Americanism dating back to 1885–90; tattle + tale

Words nearby tattletale

tattie-bogle, tattie-peelin, tatting, tattle, tattler, tattletale, tattletale gray, tattoo, tattva, tatty, tatum
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to tattletale

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

Example sentences 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