tale

[teyl]

noun

1. a narrative that relates the details of some real or imaginary event, incident, or case; story.

   a tale about Lincoln's dog.

2. a literary composition having the form of such a narrative.

3. a falsehood; lie.

4. a rumor or piece of gossip, often malicious or untrue.

5. the full number or amount.

6. Archaic.,  enumeration; count.

7. Obsolete.,  talk; discourse.

tale

/ teɪl /

noun

1. a report, narrative, or story

2. one of a group of short stories connected by an overall narrative framework

3. 1. a malicious or meddlesome rumour or piece of gossip

      to bear tales against someone

   2. ( in combination )

      talebearer

      taleteller

4. a fictitious or false statement

5. 1. to tell fanciful lies

   2. to report malicious stories, trivial complaints, etc, esp to someone in authority

6. to reveal something important

7. to be self-evident

8. archaic

   1. a number; amount

   2. computation or enumeration

9. an obsolete word for talk

Word History and Origins

Origin of tale¹

before 900; Middle English; Old English talu series, list, narrative, story; cognate with Dutch taal speech, language, German Zahl number, Old Norse tala number, speech. See tell ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of tale¹

Old English talu list; related to Old Frisian tele talk, Old Saxon, Old Norse tala talk, number, Old High German zala number

Idioms and Phrases

see old wives' tale; tall tale; tell tales; thereby hangs a tale.

Example Sentences

Montgomery, in a tale also recounted in Santa Barbara Independent, told Hey he was on a two-week solo backpacking trip when he lost his pack and then his sense of where he was.

From Los Angeles Times

Like Peer Gynt in search of a greater truth, Oliphant willingly pitted himself against larger-than-life beasts and lived to tell the tale.

From Salon

Indeed, the rushed circumstances surrounding his Arsenal loan last season have acted as a cautionary tale.

From BBC

He particularly enjoyed a morality tale about two sisters – one beautiful but "vain and severe", who lost a suitor to her plain, but more agreeable, sibling.

From BBC

Mosley’s introduction provides that frame, calling the combined tales “a twentieth century memoir” and linking them to the fight for liberation and equality.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• account 
• anecdote 
• fable 
• fiction 
• legend 
• myth 
• narrative 
• novel 
• short story 
• yarn