n.
Pronunciation: ' t ā l
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English talu; akin to Old Norse tala talk
Date: before 12th century
1 obsolete : DISCOURSE , TALK
2 a : a series of events or facts told or presented : ACCOUNT b (1) : a report of a private or confidential matter <dead men tell no tale s > (2) : a libelous report or piece of gossip
3 a : a usually imaginative narrative of an event : STORY b : an intentionally untrue report : FALSEHOOD <always preferred the tale to the truth ― Sir Winston Churchill>
4 a : COUNT , TALLY b : TOTAL