/ ˈtelteɪl; NAmE / adjective , noun
■ adjective
[ only before noun ] showing that sth exists or has happened :
telltale clues / marks / signs / sounds
The telltale smell of cigarettes told her that he had been in the room.
■ noun
( BrE ) ( NAmE tat·tle·tale ) ( informal , disapproving ) a child who tells an adult what another child has done wrong