telltale
[ tel-teyl ]
/ ˈtɛlˌteɪl /
noun
adjective
that reveals or betrays what is not intended to be known: a telltale blush.
giving notice or warning of something, as a mechanical device.
Words nearby telltale
teller, teller, edward, tellin, telling, telloh, telltale, tellurate, tellurian, telluric, telluric acid, telluride
OTHER WORDS FROM telltale
tell·tale·ly, adverbDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
British Dictionary definitions for tell tales
telltale
/ (ˈtɛlˌteɪl) /
noun
a person who tells tales about others
- an outward indication of something concealed
- (as modifier)a telltale paw mark
any of various indicators or recording devices used to monitor a process, machine, etc
nautical
- another word for dogvane
- one of a pair of light vanes mounted on the main shrouds of a sailing boat to indicate the apparent direction of the wind
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Idioms and Phrases with tell tales
tell tales
Divulge secrets, as in Don't trust him; he's apt to tell tales. This expression was first recorded about 1350. A variant, tell tales out of school, first recorded in 1530, presumably alluded to schoolchildren gossiping but was soon broadened to revealing secret or private information. Both may be obsolescent.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.