teller
noun
a person or thing that tells, relates, or communicates; narrator.
teller
1 American
[tel-er]
/ ˈtɛl ər /
noun
-
tellers
plural
-
a person or thing that tells, relates, or communicates; narrator.
Grandpa was a great teller of tall, tall tales.
-
a person employed in a bank to receive or pay out money over the counter.
-
a person who tells, counts, or enumerates, as one appointed to count votes in a legislative body.
Teller
2
American
[tel-er]
/ ˈtɛl ər /
noun
teller
1
British
/ ˈtɛlə /
noun
-
another name for cashier 1
-
a person appointed to count votes in a legislative body, assembly, etc
-
a person who tells; narrator
Teller
2
British
/ ˈtɛlə /
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of teller
Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; see origin at tell 1, -er 1
Explanation
A teller is either someone who tells some sort of story or a person who works in a bank. A bank clerk who loves to talk about her adventures? She's both kinds of teller. You might be a teller of tales, known for spinning stories, or a teller of lies, famous for your fibs. If you're a teller at a bank, you cash customers' checks and make their deposits. There aren't as many bank tellers as there once were, since this job is increasingly done by ATMs, or automatic teller machines. Teller comes from an obscure sense of the verb tell, "count."
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.
See Examples For:
She and Mark met at a local bank where she worked for years as a teller.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
You could presumably use the fortune teller thing from “The Twilight Zone,” where you put a nickel in and a little slip of paper comes out.
From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026
Ubraniak plays not only Sam but also Clay, the manager of Primary Trust, the bank that takes a chance on Kenneth, offering him a teller slot.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026
You may need a Nobel Prize-winning mathematician and a fortune teller to ensure that they each end up with an equal amount.
From MarketWatch ● May 28, 2026
“Why don’t you go down to the bank and apply for a teller job?”
From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett
He does nothing to change this impression with the dark, compelling “Paper Tiger,” in which Miles Teller and Adam Driver play brothers in 1980s New York who become dangerously involved with the Russian mob.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
After the destruction of the Verona fire, Teller was taken aback by the support from neighbors and even his competition in the beekeeping business.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026
As the normies, Teller and his naive wife, portrayed by Scarlett Johansson, feel like kids playing dress-up.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026
Oscar nominee Colman Domingo plays the singer's father Joe Jackson in the film, which also stars Nia Long as mother Katherine Jackson, and Top Gun: Maverick star Miles Teller as entertainment lawyer John Branca.
From BBC ● Apr. 21, 2026
Teller stayed at Los Alamos and aimed his relentless brain at the challenge of the Super.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
There will be fortune tellers, dancing and aerial artistry and acrobatics.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Fashion designer Donatella Versace said: "The world has lost one of the kindest and most generous of souls, the greatest of story tellers and a true legend of music."
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
Then scammers typically pile on pressure, adding voices claiming to be attorneys, courtroom clerks or bank tellers -- a cast of fictitious characters in a chaotic, urgent-sounding call.
From Barron's ● Jun. 3, 2026
ATMs were supposed to wipe out bank tellers.
From MarketWatch ● May 15, 2026
Bank tellers handed rolls of money to Lefty, which he in turn handed to the pharmacist behind the window.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
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