telltale

[ tel-teyl ]

/ ˈtɛlˌteɪl /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR telltale 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 cm) 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.

QUIZZES

This Word Of The Day Quiz Is Far From Thersitical

Have you mastered the meaning of phronesis? How about plethoric? Take the quiz on the words from the week of February 17 to 23 to find out.

Question 1 of 7

Lincolnesque

without interest or significance; dull; insipid.

like or characteristic of Abraham Lincoln.

very high or tall; lofty.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Words nearby telltale

teller, teller, edward, tellin, telling, telloh, telltale, tellurate, tellurian, telluric, telluric acid, telluride

Origin of telltale

First recorded in 1540–50; tell¹ + tale

OTHER WORDS FROM telltale

tell·tale·ly, adverb

Example sentences from the Web for telltale

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
In every direction they searched again and again for telltale columns of smoke, but saw nothing.
The Young Wireless Operator--As a Fire Patrol|Lewis E. Theiss
At this point, the wide, old boards of the floor gave a telltale snap.
The Rich Little Poor Boy|Eleanor Gates
His companion's eyes happened to fall upon the telltale mark.
The Mucker|Edgar Rice Burroughs
His arrows send no telltale reverberations to the distant clearing.
The Grandissimes|George Washington Cable
Hardly was her pocket clear of the telltale stuff when her aunt appeared before her.
While Caroline Was Growing|Josephine Daskam Bacon

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

noun

adjective

QUIZZES

Words related to telltale

Words nearby telltale

Origin of telltale

OTHER WORDS FROM telltale

Example sentences from the Web for telltale

British Dictionary definitions for telltale

noun