Definition of Tell

1. Noun. A Swiss patriot who lived in the early 14th century and who was renowned for his skill as an archer; according to legend an Austrian governor compelled him to shoot an apple from his son's head with his crossbow (which he did successfully without mishap).

Exact synonyms: William Tell
Generic synonyms: Archer, Bowman

2. Verb. Express in words. "They tell that there was a traffic accident "; "State your name"

3. Verb. Let something be known. "Tell them that you will be late"

4. Verb. Narrate or give a detailed account of. "They won't tell the story "; "The father told a story to his child"
Exact synonyms: Narrate, Recite, Recount
Generic synonyms: Inform
Specialized synonyms: Relate, Crack, Yarn, Rhapsodise, Rhapsodize
Derivative terms: Narration, Narration, Narration, Narrative, Narrator, Recital, Recital, Recounting, Tale, Teller, Telling

5. Verb. Give instructions to or direct somebody to do something with authority. "They tell him to write the letter"; "The mother told the child to get dressed"
Exact synonyms: Enjoin, Order, Say
Specialized synonyms: Direct, Instruct, Command, Require, Call, Send For, Warn
Generic synonyms: Request
Derivative terms: Injunction, Order, Order

6. Verb. Discern or comprehend. "He could tell that she was unhappy"
Generic synonyms: Guess, Infer

7. Verb. Inform positively and with certainty and confidence. "I tell you that man is a crook!"
Exact synonyms: Assure
Generic synonyms: Affirm, Assert, Aver, Avow, Swan, Swear, Verify

8. Verb. Give evidence. "He was telling on all his former colleague"
Exact synonyms: Evidence
Generic synonyms: Inform
Derivative terms: Evidence, Telling
Also: Tell Apart

9. Verb. Mark as different. "We distinguish several kinds of maple"

Definition of Tell

1. v. t. To mention one by one, or piece by piece; to recount; to enumerate; to reckon; to number; to count; as, to tell money.

2. v. i. To give an account; to make report.

3. n. That which is told; tale; account.

4. n. A hill or mound.

Definition of Tell

1. Verb. (rare or archaic) To count or enumerate. ¹

2. Verb. (transitive) To narrate. ¹

3. Verb. (transitive) To convey by speech; to say. ¹

4. Verb. (transitive) To instruct or inform. ¹

5. Verb. (transitive) To order; to direct. ¹

6. Verb. (intransitive) To discern, notice, identify or distinguish. ¹

7. Verb. (transitive) To reveal. ¹

8. Verb. (intransitive) To be revealed. ¹

9. Verb. (intransitive) To have an effect, especially a noticeable one; to be apparent, to be demonstrated. ¹

10. Noun. A reflexive, often habitual behavior, (non-gloss definition 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. ¹

11. Noun. (archaeology) A mound, originally in the Middle East, over or consisting of the ruins of ancient settlements. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Tell

1. to give a detailed account of [v TOLD, TELLING, TELLS] : TELLABLE [adj]

Medical Definition of Tell

1. 1. To mention one by one, or piece by piece; to recount; to enumerate; to reckon; to number; to count; as, to tell money. "An heap of coin he told." "He telleth the number of the stars." (Ps. Cxlvii. 4) "Tell the joints of the body." (Jer. Taylor) 2. To utter or recite in detail; to give an account of; to narrate. "Of which I shall tell all the array." (Chaucer) "And not a man appears to tell their fate." (Pope) 3. To make known; to publish; to disclose; to divulge. "Why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?" (Gen. Xii. 18) 4. To give instruction to; to make report to; to acquaint; to teach; to inform. "A secret pilgrimage, That you to-day promised to tell me of?" (Shak) 5. To order; to request; to command. "He told her not to be frightened." (Dickens) 6. To discern so as to report; to ascertain by observing; to find out; to discover; as, I can not tell where one colour ends and the other begins. 7. To make account of; to regard; to reckon; to value; to estimate. "I ne told no dainity of her love." (Chaucer) Tell, though equivalent in some respect to speak and say, has not always the same application. We say, to tell truth or falsehood, to tell a number, to tell the reasons, to tell something or nothing; but we never say, to tell a speech, discourse, or oration, or to tell an argument or a lesson. It is much used in commands; as, tell me the whole story; tell me all you know. To tell off, to count; to divide. Synonym: To communicate, impart, reveal, disclose, inform, acquaint, report, repeat, rehearse, recite. Origin: AS. Tellan, from talu tale, number, speech; akin to D. Tellen to count, G. Zahlen, OHG. Zellen to count, tell, say, Icel. Telja, Dan. Tale to speak, taelle to count. See Tale that which is told. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Tell

telfering
telfers
telford
telfords
telia
telial
telic
telically
telicities
telicity
telingo potato
teliospores
telithromycin
telium
tell-all
tell-tale
tell against
tell all
tell apart
tell it like it is
tell it to Sweeney
tell it to the marines
tell me about it
tell off
tell on
tell tales
tell the difference

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