Meaning of tale | Babel Free

Definitions

1. A rehearsal of what has occurred; narrative; discourse; statement; history; story.
2. A number told or counted off; a reckoning by count; an enumeration.
3. [story] cuento; [gossip] pop. chisme.
4. The fraudulent opportunity presented by a confidence man to the mark or victim.
   slang
5. A recital of events or happenings; a report or revelation: told us a long tale of woe.
6. An account of an asserted fact or circumstance; a rumour; a report, especially an idle or malicious story; a piece of gossip or slander; a lie.
7. A malicious story, piece of gossip, or petty complaint.
8. Number; tally; quota.
   obsolete
9. A deliberate lie; a falsehood.
10. Account; estimation; regard; heed.
    obsolete
11. A narrative of real or imaginary events; a story.
12. Speech; language.
    obsolete
13. Archaic A tally or reckoning; a total.
    Archaic
14. A speech; a statement; talk; conversation; discourse.
    obsolete
15. a report, narrative, or story
16. A count; declaration.
    obsolete
17. (Literary & Literary Critical Terms) one of a group of short stories connected by an overall narrative framework
18. A number of things considered as an aggregate; sum.
    archaic, rare
19. a malicious or meddlesome rumour or piece of gossip: to bear tales against someone.
20. A report of any matter; a relation; a version.
    archaic, rare
21. a fictitious or false statement

Equivalents

Examples

“the Canterbury Tales”

“And every shepherd tells his tale Under the hawthorn in the dale.”

“But can you guess what there was in the box? Why, it was a calf's tail, and if the calf's tail had been longer this tale would have been longer too.”

“Barla Von: What's this? One of the Earth-clan? Ah, a very famous one, yes? You are the one called Shepard. Barla Von: The tale of how you survived the great tragedy on Akuze is truly remarkable. I am amazed each time I hear it.”

“the ignorant, […] who measure by tale, and not by weight”

“In packing, they keep a just tale of the number that every hogshead containeth ...”

“They proceeded with some rigour, these Custodiars; took written inventories, clapt-on seals, exacted everywhere strict tale and measure”

“Don't tell tales!”

““A very welcome, kind, useful present, that means to the parish. By the way, Hopkins, let this go no further. We don't want the tale running round that a rich person has arrived. Churchill, my dear fellow, we have such greedy sharks, and wolves in lamb's clothing.[…]””

“And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.”

“Both number twice a day the milky dams And once she takes the tale of all the lambs.”

“To appease the angry god, two hundred children of the noblest families were picked out for sacrifice, and the tale of victims was swelled by not less than three hundred more who volunteered to die for the fatherland.”

“[…] birds […] are aptest by their voice to tell tales what they find; and likewise by the motion of their flight to express the same.”

CEFR level