'Tell' definitions:

Definition of 'Tell'

From: WordNet
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) [syn: Tell, William Tell]
verb
Express in words; "He said that he wanted to marry her"; "tell me what is bothering you"; "state your opinion"; "state your name" [syn: state, say, tell]
verb
Let something be known; "Tell them that you will be late"
verb
Narrate or give a detailed account of; "Tell what happened"; "The father told a story to his child" [syn: tell, narrate, recount, recite]
verb
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" [syn: order, tell, enjoin, say]
verb
Discern or comprehend; "He could tell that she was unhappy"
verb
Inform positively and with certainty and confidence; "I tell you that man is a crook!" [syn: assure, tell]
verb
Give evidence; "he was telling on all his former colleague" [syn: tell, evidence]
verb
Mark as different; "We distinguish several kinds of maple" [syn: distinguish, separate, differentiate, secern, secernate, severalize, severalise, tell, tell apart]

Definition of 'Tell'

From: GCIDE
  • Tell \Tell\ (t[e^]l), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Told (t[=o]ld); p. pr. & vb. n. Telling.] [AS. tellan, from talu tale, number, speech; akin to D. tellen to count, G. z[aum]hlen, OHG. zellen to count, tell, say, Icel. telja, Dan. tale to speak, t[ae]lle to count. See Tale that which is told.]
  • 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." --Spenser. [1913 Webster]
  • He telleth the number of the stars. --Ps. cxlvii. 4. [1913 Webster]
  • Tell the joints of the body. --Jer. Taylor. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. To utter or recite in detail; to give an account of; to narrate. [1913 Webster]
  • Of which I shall tell all the array. --Chaucer. [1913 Webster]
  • And not a man appears to tell their fate. --Pope. [1913 Webster]
  • 3. To make known; to publish; to disclose; to divulge. [1913 Webster]
  • Why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife? --Gen. xii. 18. [1913 Webster]
  • 4. To give instruction to; to make report to; to acquaint; to teach; to inform. [1913 Webster]
  • A secret pilgrimage, That you to-day promised to tell me of? --Shak. [1913 Webster]
  • 5. To order; to request; to command. [1913 Webster]
  • He told her not to be frightened. --Dickens. [1913 Webster]
  • 6. 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. [1913 Webster]
  • 7. To make account of; to regard; to reckon; to value; to estimate. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]
  • I ne told no dainity of her love. --Chaucer. [1913 Webster]
  • Note: 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. [1913 Webster]
  • To tell off, to count; to divide. --Sir W. Scott. [1913 Webster]
  • Syn: To communicate; impart; reveal; disclose; inform; acquaint; report; repeat; rehearse; recite. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'Tell'

From: GCIDE
  • Tell \Tell\, v. i.
  • 1. To give an account; to make report. [1913 Webster]
  • That I may publish with the voice of thankgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works. --Ps. xxvi. 7. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. To take effect; to produce a marked effect; as, every shot tells; every expression tells. [1913 Webster]
  • To tell of. (a) To speak of; to mention; to narrate or describe. (b) To inform against; to disclose some fault of.
  • To tell on, to inform against. [Archaic & Colloq.] [1913 Webster]
  • Lest they should tell on us, saying, So did David. --1 Sam. xxvii. 11. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'Tell'

From: GCIDE
  • Tell \Tell\, n. That which is told; tale; account. [R.] [1913 Webster]
  • I am at the end of my tell. --Walpole. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'Tell'

From: GCIDE
  • Tell \Tell\, n. [Ar.] A hill or mound. --W. M. Thomson. [1913 Webster]

Synonyms of 'tell'

From: Moby Thesaurus

Words containing 'Tell'