A Topical Dictionary: Search for telltale

Dictionary Results For "telltale" [?]/[OPML]

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See tell-tale

English

Etymology

From old English (circa 1550)

Noun

one who divulges private information with intent to hurt others
tattletale; squealer (U.S. slang)
something that serves to reveal something else
:The telltale was the lipstick on his shirt collar.
a length of yarn or ribbon attached to a sail or shroud etc to indicate the direction of the flow of the air relative to the boat

Related terms

tell tales

Translations

Finnish: juorukello, ilmiantaja

Finnish: virtauslanka

Adjective

revealing something not intended to be known
:His eye was blinking, a telltale signal that he was lying.
:He blushed when he approached, a telltale sign that he was happy to see him.

Translations

Finnish: paljastava

Derived terms

telltale compass

Category:Talking

fr:telltale ja:telltale te:telltale vi:telltale

GNU Project's publication of CIDE, the Collaborative International Dictionary of English Tattler \Tat"tler\, n.
1. One who tattles; an idle talker; one who tells tales.
--Jer. Taylor.
[1913 Webster]

2. (Zool.) Any one of several species of large, long-legged
sandpipers belonging to the genus Totanus.
[1913 Webster]

Note: The common American species are the greater tattler, or
telltale (Totanus melanoleucus), the smaller tattler,
or lesser yellowlegs (Totanus flavipes), the solitary
tattler (Totanus solitarius), and the semipalmated
tattler, or willet. The first two are called also
telltale, telltale spine, telltale tattler,
yellowlegs, yellowshanks, and yelper.
[1913 Webster]

GNU Project's publication of CIDE, the Collaborative International Dictionary of English Telltale \Tell"tale`\, a.
Telling tales; babbling. "The telltale heart." --Poe.
[1913 Webster]

GNU Project's publication of CIDE, the Collaborative International Dictionary of English Telltale \Tell"tale`\, n.
1. One who officiously communicates information of the
private concerns of others; one who tells that which
prudence should suppress.
[1913 Webster]

2. (Mus.) A movable piece of ivory, lead, or other material,
connected with the bellows of an organ, that gives notice,
by its position, when the wind is exhausted.
[1913 Webster]

3. (Naut.)
(a) A mechanical attachment to the steering wheel, which,
in the absence of a tiller, shows the position of the
helm.
(b) A compass in the cabin of a vessel, usually placed
where the captain can see it at all hours, and thus
inform himself of the vessel's course.
[1913 Webster]

4. (Mach.) A machine or contrivance for indicating or
recording something, particularly for keeping a check upon
employees, as factory hands, watchmen, drivers, check
takers, and the like, by revealing to their employers what
they have done or omitted.
[1913 Webster]

5. (Zool.) The tattler. See Tattler.
[1913 Webster]

6. A thing that serves to disclose something or give
information; a hint or indication.

It supplies many useful links and telltales.
--Saintsbury.
[Webster 1913 Suppl.]

7. (Railroads) An arrangement consisting of long strips, as
of rope, wire, or leather, hanging from a bar over
railroad tracks, in such a position as to warn freight
brakemen of their approach to a low overhead bridge.
[Webster 1913 Suppl.]
[1913 Webster]

GNU Project's publication of CIDE, the Collaborative International Dictionary of English Yellowlegs \Yel"low*legs`\, n. (Zool.)
Any one of several species of long-legged sandpipers of the
genus Totanus, in which the legs are bright yellow; --
called also stone snipe, tattler, telltale,
yellowshanks; and yellowshins. See Tattler, 2.
[1913 Webster]

WordNet telltale
adj : disclosing unintentionally; "a telling smile"; "a telltale
panel of lights"; "a telltale patch of oil on the water
marked where the boat went down" [syn: revealing, telling,
telltale(a)]
n : someone who gossips indiscreetly [syn: tattletale, tattler,
taleteller, talebearer, blabbermouth]

Moby Dictionary
a tale-bearing animal , babbling , betrayal , betrayer , blab , blabber ,
blabberer , blabbering , blabbermouth , blabbing , broad hint ,
busybody , catchword , clack , clue , communication leak , cue ,
cue word , dead giveaway , delator , divulgation , divulgement ,
divulgence , divulging , evidence , evulgation , fink , gentle hint ,
gesture , giveaway , glimmer , glimmering , gossip , gossip columnist ,
gossiper , gossipmonger , hint , hot lead , implication , index ,
indication , indiscretion , informer , inkling , innuendo , insinuation ,
intimation , key , key word , kick , lead , leak , letting out , look ,
narc , newsmonger , newspaperman , nod , notion , nudge , obvious clue ,
peacher , prompt , quidnunc , reporter , rumormonger , scandalmonger ,
scent , sign , signal , snitch , snitcher , spoor , spy , squealer ,
stool pigeon , stoolie , suggestion , suspicion , symptom , tabby ,
talebearer , taleteller , tattler , tattletale , telltale sign ,
tip-off , tittle-tattler , trace , track , unwitting disclosure ,
vestige , whiff , whisper , whistle-blower , wind , wink , yenta