Meaning of tell | Babel Free

Definitions

1. A reflexive, often habitual behavior, especially one occurring in a context that often features attempts at deception by persons under psychological stress (such as a poker game or police interrogation), that reveals information that the person exhibiting the behavior is attempting to withhold.
2. A hill or mound, originally and especially in the Middle East, over or consisting of the ruins of ancient settlements.
3. A surname.
4. Games An unintentional or unconsciously exhibited behavior that reveals or betrays one's state of mind, as when playing poker.
   Games
5. A giveaway; something that unintentionally reveals or hints at a secret.
   informal
6. To rebuke severely; reprimand.
7. That which is told; a tale or account.
   archaic
8. To determine the time of day indicated by the positions of the hands on a clock.
9. A private message to an individual in a chat room; a whisper.
   Internet
10. A mound, especially in the Middle East, made up of the remains of a succession of previous settlements.
11. tell it like it is, Informal. to be blunt and forthright.
12. an artificial mound consisting of the accumulated remains of one or more ancient settlements (often used in Egypt and the Middle East as part of a place name).
13. William, William Tell.
14. Informal. To reprimand loudly or harshly:bawl out, berate, rate.
15. having a great effect. a telling argument. oortuigend مُؤَثِّر، مُفْحِم убедителен eficaz účinný, výmluvný wirkungsvoll effektiv αποτελεσματικόςeficaz kõnekas موثر paljonpuhuva efficaceמרשים प्रभावपूर्ण djelotvoran, učinkovit hatásos berakibat besar áhrifaríkur efficace きき目のある 효과적인, 밝히는 svarus svarīgs; iespaidīgs berkesan treffendtalende, treffende, slåendeskuteczny, znaczącyeficaz eficace; elocvent веский účinný učinkovit značajan träffande, talande ที่เกิดผล önemli, etkili 有效力的 дієвий; вира...
16. oortuigend بصورةٍ مُؤَثِّرَه أو مُفْحِمَه убедителен de modo eficaz účinně wirkungsvoll effektivt αποτελεσματικάeficazmente mõjuvalt بطور موثر nasevasti efficacement בְּאוֹפֶן מַרשִׁים असर करते हुए, प्रभावशाली ढंग से djelovorno, učinkovito hatásosan secara berpengaruh með áhrifaríkum hætti efficacemente 効果的に 인상적으로, 밝혀주는 svariai svarīgi dgn berkesan treffend virkningsfullt, slåendeskutecznie, znacząco de modo eficaz (în mod) eficace веско účinne učinkovito značajno på ett träffande (talande) s...

Equivalents

Examples

“Those whose business it is to verify luxury bags insist, at least publicly, that there’s always a “tell” to a superfake.”

“Republican Congressman Chris Smith of New Jersey said recently that “Israel is the only state in the world whose fundamental right to exist, within any borders at all, is openly denied by other states.” But Israel is the only nation with a “right to exist,” as the phrase is not commonly attached to any other country. And that’s the tell: This is not a legal concept, but a political one, available for broad interpretation and rhetorical weaponization.”

“April 4, 1743, Horace Walpole, letter to Sir Horace Mann I am at the end of my tell.”

“Succoth is now associated with a large tell situated in the Jordan Valley, Deir Allah.”

CEFR level