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guide to the dictionary

tell¹

(tĕl)

v. told(tōld), tell·ing, tells

v. tr.

a. To communicate by speech or writing; express with words: She told him that the store was closed. Tell me the truth.

b. To give a detailed account of; narrate: told what happened; told us a story.

c. To notify (someone) of something; inform: He told us of his dream to sail around the world.

d. To make known; disclose or reveal: tell a secret; tell fortunes.

e. To inform (someone) positively; assure: I tell you, the plan will work.

f. To give instructions to; direct: told the customers to wait in line.

2. To discover by observation; discern: We could tell that he was upset.

3. To name or number one by one; count: telling one's blessings; 16 windows, all told.

v. intr.

1. To relate a story or give an account of an event: The sailor told of having been adrift for days.

2. To reveal something that is not supposed to be revealed, especially something that someone has done wrong: She promised not to tell on her friend.

3. To have an effect or impact: In this game every move tells.

An unintentional or unconsciously exhibited behavior that reveals or betrays one's state of mind, as when playing poker.

Phrasal Verb:

tell off Informal

To rebuke severely; reprimand.

Idiom:

tell time

To determine the time of day indicated by the positions of the hands on a clock.

[Middle English tellen, from Old English tellan; see del-² in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

tella·ble adj.

tell²

(tĕl)

A mound, especially in the Middle East, made up of the remains of a succession of previous settlements.

[Arabic tall; see tll in the Appendix of Semitic roots.]

Tell

(tĕl), William fl. early 14th cent.?

Swiss patriot who, according to legend, sparked a rebellion against Habsburg rule after he was forced to shoot an apple off his son's head with a crossbow.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices