ˈtī, ˈtā(ə)l noun
( -s )
Etymology: French, from Old French, from taillier to cut, shape, fix, limit, tax — more at tailor
1.
a. : an imposition or tax formerly levied by a French king or seigneur on his subjects or on lands held of or under him
b. : a royal or a national tax in 15th century France from which the lords and later the clergy and others were exempt — compare corvé e , gabelle , tallage
2. obsolete : the shape of the bust : build , figure , form
3.
a. : a middle voice or tenor in early choral music
b. : a part to be performed on the tenor viol, the viola, or the English horn