Definition of -tell in English English dictionary
- Et-Tell
- an archaeological site in Israel popularly thought to be the Biblical city of Ai
- I tell a lie
- I am mistaken; I thought that what I said (or wrote) was true, but I have just realised that it is not
I travelled there in 1996, no, I tell a lie, in 1997.
- Tell el-Amarna
- Modern site of the ancient city of Akhetaten in Egypt, built by Akhenaten in honor of the Egyptian deity Aten
- can you tell us
- A prefix indicating a polite request
Can you tell us how you will motivate your students to learn?.
- dead men tell no tales
- Once someone is dead, they can no longer communicate, hence killing someone is the best way to keep him/her quiet
- does Macy's tell Gimbel's
- A rhetorical question with the implied answer being that competitors do not share business secrets with one another
- don't ask, don't tell
- Canada's policy on anyone leaving the United States during the Vietnam War in order to avoid the military draft
- don't ask, don't tell
- A US military policy governing homosexuality and bisexuality in the military. Basically, any enlistee who is a homosexual cannot divulge this information, on or off duty, while in the military
- don't ask, don't tell, don't harass, don't pursue
- The full name of the U.S. Military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy concerning the service of homosexuals in the military as defined in
- kiss and tell
- To betray a confidence by disclosing private information
- kiss-and-tell
- betraying a confidence by disclosing private information
- only time will tell
- Alternative form of time will tell
- pray tell
- Expressing incredulity, please explain (some claim or position the speaker doubts)
But how, pray tell, do you notice something that happens when you're asleep?.
- pray tell
- Please explain (something the requestor does not yet understand)
Pray tell us, how will they fare while you are away?.
- show and tell
- A school activity in which each student brings an item to school and gives a talk on it to the class
- tell
- A mound, originally in the Middle East, over or consisting of the ruins of ancient settlements
- tell
- To count or enumerate
And in his lap a masse of coyne he told, / And turned vpsidowne, to feede his eye / A couetous desire with his huge threasury.
- tell
- To instruct or inform
Please tell me the time.
- tell
- To order; to direct
Tell him to go away.
- tell
- To convey by speech; to say
He seems to like to tell lies.
- tell
- A reflexive, often habitual behavior, esp. one occurring in a context that often features attempts at deception by persons under psychological stress (e.g., a poker game or police interrogation), that reveals (gives away) information that the person exhibiting the behavior is attempting to withhold
- tell
- To narrate
I want to tell you a story.
- tell
- To be revealed
Cherry looks old, Mergenthaler told himself. His age is telling. Querulous — that's the word. He's become a whining, querulous old man absorbed with trivialities.
- tell
- To reveal
Time will tell what became of him.
- tell
- To discern, notice, identify or distinguish
No, there's no way to tell.
- tell all
- To reveal everything, particularly information that is normally withheld
The actress's earthy new book tells all.
- tell apart
- To be able to know the difference between things; to distinguish
They are identical twins, and if they dress the same, everybody has trouble telling them apart.
- tell it like it is
- To speak frankly, to convey all and only the truth of a situation
- tell it to Sweeney
- I do not believe what you said
- tell it to the marines
- I do not believe what you said
- tell me about it
- Used to express agreement and sympathy with previous speaker's statement
We're on the Air Force family planning routine. Mitch's been out of town so much we haven't even had a chance to try and get pregnant. / Tell me about it..
- tell off
- To rebuke, to reprimand, or to admonish, often in a harsh, direct way
- tell on
- To inform on; to tattle; to tell someone with authority that someone else has done something wrong; usually somewhat childish
My sister told on me when I didn't go to school.
- tell on
- To cause strain to somebody or something
Years of drinking started to tell on his body.
- tell tales
- To lie, to be making false claims
Don't listen to him, he's telling tales.
- tell the truth
- Used to positively assert the frank honesty of an associated statement of set of statements; equivalent to "to tell the truth"
- tell you the truth
- Used to positively assert the frank honesty of an associated statement of set of statements; equivalent to "to you tell the truth"
- tell-all
- That which tells all; revealing everything, particularly what is normally withheld
Open source is a tell-all software development strategy.
- tell-tale compass
- Alternative spelling of telltale compass
- time will tell
- The results of an action cannot be known beforehand
This may not be a good idea, but time will tell.
- to tell the truth
- An attestation to the truthfulness and frankness of an associated statement
- you can't tell a book by its cover
- Alternative form of you can't judge a book by its cover
- tell the truth
- relay a true sentiment, tell a true story
- blood will tell
- (deyim) family characteristics cannot be concealed
- tell
- {v} to relate, utter, inform , report, count, reckon
- kiss-and-tell
- Betraying a confidence by disclosing private information, esp. about a sexual relationship with someone famous
- show-and-tell
- (Eğitim) A teaching method in which pupils bring items to class and describe them to their classmates
- tell that to the marines
- (deyim) A scornful expression of disbelief. [referring to the horse marines, an imaginary corps of cavalrymen employed to serve as marines (thus out of their element).]
- I can't tell the difference
- I cannot tell one from the other, I don't see a change
- If I tell you will you buy me a beer
- will you get me a beer if I reveal the secret?
- Tell
- {i} family name; William Tell, hero and patriot of Swiss folklore during the early 14th century famous for his skill as an archer; (in Poker game) noticeable change in the conduct of a player that gives clues to said player's hand
- Tell el- Amarna
- Ancient city, Egypt. Located midway between Thebes and Memphis on the Nile River, it was built in the 14th century BC by the Egyptian king (pharaoh) Akhenaton, who moved his subjects there in order to found a new monotheistic religion. Artifacts discovered there in the 19th century included hundreds of cuneiform tablets. Archaeological finds of the late 20th century included sculptures and paintings
- William Tell
- {i} hero and patriot of Swiss folklore who according to legend was forced to shoot an apple off of his son's head with a bow and arrow
- William Tell
- a Swiss folk hero of the 14th century, who opposed the Austrians who ruled Switzerland. According to a famous story, Tell was ordered by the Austrian governor to use his crossbow to shoot an apple placed on his own son's head. He succeeded in doing this because of his great skill, and later killed the governor. This encouraged the Swiss people to fight and gain their independence. Tell's story is told in a well-known opera by Rossini. German Wilhelm Tell. Swiss national hero whose historical existence is disputed. According to tradition, in the 13th or early 14th century he defied Austrian authority and was forced to shoot an apple from his son's head with a crossbow at a distance of 80 paces by the hated Austrian governor. He subsequently ambushed and killed the governor, an event that supposedly led to rebellion against Austrian rule. He is first mentioned in a chronicle from 1470. The marksman's test is widely found in folklore, and the story has resemblances to the founding myths of other nations
- show and tell
- an activity for school children in which they bring an object to school and tell the other children about it
- tell
- A clue or hint that a player unknowingly gives about the strength of his hand, his next action, etc May originally be from "telegraph" or the obvious use that he "tells" you what he's going to do before he does it
- tell
- (sometimes spelled tel) A mound that contains the ruined remains of a human settlement; each layer or level, called a stratum, represents a particular historical period
- tell
- You use I'll tell you what or I tell you what to introduce a suggestion or a new topic of conversation. I tell you what, I'll bring the water in a separate glass
- tell
- To pass information by speech
- tell
- If you tell someone to do something, you order or advise them to do it. A passer-by told the driver to move his car so that it was not causing an obstruction
- tell
- give instructions to or direct somebody to do something with authority; "I said to him to go home"; "She ordered him to do the shopping"; "The mother told the child to get dressed"
- tell
- 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) discern or comprehend; "He could tell that she was unhappy"
- tell
- To utter or recite in detail; to give an account of; to narrate
- tell
- mark as different; "We distinguish several kinds of maple"
- tell
- To make account of; to regard; to reckon; to value; to estimate
- tell
- To order; to request; to command
- tell
- If facts or events tell you something, they reveal certain information to you through ways other than speech. The facts tell us that this is not true I don't think the unemployment rate ever tells us much about the future The evidence of our eyes tells us a different story While most of us feel fairly complacent about the nutrients we're getting from our diets, the facts tell a very different story
- tell
- To count or enumerate (see teller)
- tell
- If you can tell one thing from another, you are able to recognize the difference between it and other similar things. I can't really tell the difference between their policies and ours How do you tell one from another? I had to look twice to tell which was Martinez; they all looked alike
- tell
- To discern so as to report; to ascertain by observing; to find out; to discover; as, I can not tell where one color ends and the other begins
- tell
- A gesture or signal unintentionally done by a player that gives other players information about the player's hand For example, a player who twitches when they are bluffing
- tell
- If you say `You never can tell', you mean that the future is always uncertain and it is never possible to know exactly what will happen. You never can tell what life is going to bring you
- tell
- To have a marked effect
- tell
- an artificial mound consisting of the accumulated remains of one or more ancient settlements in the Middle East and Egypt; an ancient garbage dump
- tell
- To give instruction to; to make report to; to acquaint; to teach; to inform
- tell
- To give an account; to make report
- tell
- If you tell someone something, you give them information. In the evening I returned to tell Phyllis our relationship was over I called Andie to tell her how spectacular the stuff looked Claire had made me promise to tell her the truth I only told the truth to the press when the single was released as it seemed the perfect time to do it Tell us about your moment on the summit Her voice breaking with emotion, she told him: `It doesn't seem fair'
- tell
- If you tell, you reveal or give away a secret. Many of the children know who they are but are not telling
- tell
- If an unpleasant or tiring experience begins to tell, it begins to have a serious effect. The pressure began to tell as rain closed in after 20 laps see also telling, kiss and tell
- tell
- let something be known; "Tell them that you will be late"
- tell
- To take effect; to produce a marked effect; as, every shot tells; every expression tells
- tell
- That which is told; tale; account
- tell
- {f} relate; know; discover, discern; command
- tell
- inform positively and with certainty and confidence; "I tell you that man is a crook!"
- tell
- give evidence; "he was telling on all his former colleague
- tell
- to say something to a particular individual, heard only by them
- tell
- narrate or give a detailed account of; "Tell what happened"; "The father told a story to his child"
- tell
- I will tell him so = It is his turn (You'd better tell him so (^^; ) (00/01/02) I told you so A little bird told me Tell it like it is understand; *Yes, I changed my hairstyle How can you tell? *There's no telling what will happen *He will be unable to tell the fake from the real one
- tell
- v tell [OE tellan]
- tell
- A hill or mound
- tell
- discern or comprehend; "He could tell that she was unhappy"
- tell
- If you tell yourself something, you put it into words in your own mind because you need to encourage or persuade yourself about something. `Come on', she told herself I told myself I would be satisfied with whatever I could get
- tell
- A give away sign, especially one used in the game of poker
- tell
- a mound in the Middle East over or consisting of the ruins of ancient settlements
- tell
- emphasis You can say `I tell you', `I can tell you', or `I can't tell you' to add emphasis to what you are saying. I tell you this, I will not rest until that day has come This little letter gave us a few chuckles, I can tell you
- tell
- give evidence; "he was telling on all his former colleague"
- tell
- To make known; to publish; to disclose; to divulge
- tell
- To mention one by one, or piece by piece; to recount; to enumerate; to reckon; to number; to count; as, to tell money
- tell
- to tell the time: see time time will tell: see time. A mound, especially in the Middle East, made up of the remains of a succession of previous settlements. Tell Mardikh Tell Asmar Amarna Tell el Tell William
- tell
- express in words; "He said that he wanted to marry her"; "tell me what is bothering you"; "state your opinion"; "state your name"
- tell
- If someone disagrees with you or refuses to do what you suggest and you are eventually proved to be right, you can say `I told you so'. Her parents did not approve of her decision and, if she failed, her mother would say, `I told you so.'
- tell
- anything that reveals theatrical devices to the audience; an action that tips off the audience that you're "up to something "
- tell
- vagueness You use as far as I can tell or so far as I could tell to indicate that what you are saying is based on the information you have, but that there may be things you do not know. As far as I can tell, Jason is basically a nice guy
- tell
- If you tell something such as a joke, a story, or your personal experiences, you communicate it to other people using speech. His friends say he was always quick to tell a joke He told his story to The Sunday Times and produced photographs Will you tell me a story?
- tell
- If you can tell what is happening or what is true, you are able to judge correctly what is happening or what is true. It was already impossible to tell where the bullet had entered You can tell he's joking
- tell a lie
- lie, relay a falsehood, not tell the truth
- tell a white lie
- tell a lie about a trivial matter as to not harm or hurt a person
- tell against
- testify against, take the witness stand against
- tell apart
- {f} know the difference between, distinguish
- tell lies
- tell untruth, fib, speak lies
- tell off
- reprimand; "She told the misbehaving student off
- tell off
- rebuke, reproach, scream at
- tell on
- produce an affect or strain on somebody; "Each step told on his tired legs"
- tell to one's face
- say directly to someone
- tell-
- v tell [OE tellan]
- tell-
- A gesture or signal unintentionally done by a player that gives other players information about the player's hand For example, a player who twitches when they are bluffing
- tell-
- let something be known; "Tell them that you will be late"
- tell-
- express in words; "He said that he wanted to marry her"; "tell me what is bothering you"; "state your opinion"; "state your name"
- tell-
- inform positively and with certainty and confidence; "I tell you that man is a crook!"
- tell-
- give instructions to or direct somebody to do something with authority; "I said to him to go home"; "She ordered him to do the shopping"; "The mother told the child to get dressed"
- tell-tale
- Something that is described as telltale gives away information, often about something bad that would otherwise not be noticed. Only occasionally did the telltale redness around his eyes betray the fatigue he was suffering
- to tell the truth
- to be quite honest, honestly
- truth to tell
- as a matter of fact, actually, the truth must be told