telltale

American  

[tel-teyl] / ˈtɛlˌteɪl /

noun

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

2. a thing serving to reveal or disclose something.

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

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

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

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

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adjective

1. that reveals or betrays what is not intended to be known.

   a telltale blush.

2. giving notice or warning of something, as a mechanical device.

telltale British  

/ ˈtɛlˌteɪl /

noun

1. a person who tells tales about others

2. 1. an outward indication of something concealed

   2. ( as modifier )

      a telltale paw mark

3. any of various indicators or recording devices used to monitor a process, machine, etc

4. nautical

   1. another word for dogvane

   2. one of a pair of light vanes mounted on the main shrouds of a sailing boat to indicate the apparent direction of the wind

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Other Word Forms

• telltalely adverb

Etymology

Origin of telltale

First recorded in 1540–50; tell ¹ + tale

Example Sentences

They found that when a phishing pop-up had clear malevolent telltales, like misspellings, the phone and PC users tended to avoid it at similar rates.

From The Wall Street Journal

But there are some telltale signs - if you know where to look.

From BBC

“We see the telltale sign of a bubble as gear that has been ordered or shipped for which there is no operational or economic value,” wrote Truist Securities analyst William Stein in a research note.

From Barron's

She gestured to show what she meant: two legs instead of four, pert noses, a telltale lack of little curly tails.

From Literature

Known for pushing the boundaries of fabrication, Whitten’s telltale as a designer was his distinctive patchwork construction.

From Los Angeles Times