telltale

[ tel-teyl ]

/ ˈtɛlˌteɪl /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: telltale / telltales on Thesaurus.com

noun

a person who heedlessly or maliciously reveals private or confidential matters; tattler; talebearer.

a thing serving to reveal or disclose something.

any of various indicating or registering devices, as a time clock.

Music. a gauge on an organ for indicating the air pressure.

an indicator showing the position of a ship's rudder.

a row of strips hung over a track to warn train crew members on freight trains that a low bridge, tunnel, or the like is approaching.

Yachting. (on a sailboat) a feather, string, or similar device, often attached to the port and starboard shrouds and to the backstay, to indicate the relative direction of the wind.

Squash. a narrow piece of metal across the front wall of a court, parallel to and extending 17 inches (43.2 centimeters) above the base: a ball striking this is an out.

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.

QUIZ

SHALL WE PLAY A "SHALL" VS. "SHOULD" CHALLENGE?

Should you take this quiz on “shall” versus “should”? It should prove to be a quick challenge!

Question 1 of 6

Which form is commonly used with other verbs to express intention?

shall

should

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of telltale

First recorded in 1540–50; tell¹ + tale

OTHER WORDS FROM telltale

telltalely, adverb

Words nearby telltale

tell me, tell off, Telloh, tell on, tell someone where to get off, telltale, tell tales, tell time, tellurate, tellurian, telluric

How to use telltale in a sentence

The post One telltale sign it’s time to replace your laptop battery appeared first on Popular Science.
One telltale sign it’s time to replace your laptop battery|Harry Guinness|August 25, 2021|Popular-Science
The brains of individuals with this disorder have telltale spots of disorganized tissue layers, and patients sometimes undergo surgery to remove these brain areas in the hope of reducing their seizures.
The quest to learn if our brain’s mutations affect mental health|Roxanne Khamsi|August 25, 2021|MIT Technology Review
Any good electrical conductors sent telltale signals back to a receiver coil, suggesting that the rocks might contain valuable deposits of nickel and cobalt—metals used in the batteries powering cell phones, laptops, and electric cars.
The big tech quest to find the metals needed for the energy overhaul|Maddie Stone|August 11, 2021|MIT Technology Review
Using the Gemini North Telescope in Hawaii to observe GRB 200826A’s host galaxy, the team was able to pick out the telltale infrared light of the supernova.
A super-short gamma-ray burst defies astronomers’ expectations|Maria Temming|August 2, 2021|Science News

Like Northup’s memoir, before it recently resurfaced in public memory, the telltale clues of his last years are probably now lost to time.
VANISHED: 6 Unsolved and Baffling Disappearances|Sohini Das Gupta|July 21, 2021|Ozy
But these choices are where Iron from Ice (and other Telltale properties) sets itself apart.
‘Game of Thrones’ Interactive FanFiction: Whoops, My Friend Was Speared in the Throat|Alec Kubas-Meyer|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Telltale can give the real Game of Thrones experience, but one that you can influence.
‘Game of Thrones’ Interactive FanFiction: Whoops, My Friend Was Speared in the Throat|Alec Kubas-Meyer|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Broken twigs, trails to nowhere, and mini-debris landslides, despite the drought, were all telltale signs of heavy use.
The Foraging Wars: Extreme Eating Hits California|Debra A. Klein|January 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
These changes in heart rate are usually a telltale sign of infection.
Big Data’s Powerful Effect on Tiny Babies|CNBC|September 18, 2013|DAILY BEAST
It can cause pneumonia and encephalitis, as well as the telltale rash and “measly” feeling of those who are ill.
A Maddening Case of the Measles in Orthodox Jewish Brooklyn|Kent Sepkowitz|June 13, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Had he been looking at her he would have seen the telltale color tide her cheeks.
The Highgrader|William MacLeod Raine
Dale's eager tone, his flashing eyes, had made her feel that her secret was there in her telltale face.
The Man of the Forest|Zane Grey
However, in a few minutes he heard telltale whistles ahead, and he signaled half speed.
Blow The Man Down|Holman Day
It was all that I could do to fight back the telltale moodiness I felt rising in my face, for I knew her eyes were on me.
The Wasted Generation|Owen Johnson
One might guess, from telltale eyes and mouth, that his calmness did not go very deep.
The Happy Family|Bertha Muzzy Bower

British Dictionary definitions for telltale

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 Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

telltale

Origin of telltale

OTHER WORDS FROM telltale

Words nearby telltale

Words related to telltale

How to use telltale in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for telltale