tell 1
/tel/ , v. , told, telling .
v.t.
1. to give an account or narrative of; narrate; relate (a story, tale, etc.): to tell the story of Lincoln's childhood.
2. to make known by speech or writing (a fact, news, information, etc.); communicate.
3. to announce or proclaim.
4. to utter (the truth, a lie, etc.).
5. to express in words (thoughts, feelings, etc.).
6. to reveal or divulge (something secret or private).
7. to say plainly or positively: I cannot tell just what was done.
8. to discern or recognize (a distant person or thing) so as to be able to identify or describe: Can you tell who that is over there?
9. to distinguish; discriminate; ascertain: You could hardly tell the difference between them.
10. to inform (a person) of something: He told me his name.
11. to assure emphatically: I won't, I tell you!
12. to bid, order, or command: Tell him to stop.
13. to mention one after another, as in enumerating; count or set one by one or in exact amount: to tell the cattle in a herd; All told there were 17 if we are correct.
v.i.
14. to give an account or report: Tell me about your trip.
15. to give evidence or be an indication: The ruined temples told of an ancient culture, long since passed from existence.
16. to disclose something secret or private; inform; tattle: She knows who did it, but she won't tell.
17. to say positively; determine; predict: Who can tell?
18. to have force or effect; operate effectively: a contest in which every stroke tells.
19. to produce a marked or severe effect: The strain was telling on his health.
20. Brit. Dial. to talk or chat.
21. tell it like it is , Informal. to tell the complete, unadulterated truth; be forthright: He may be crude but he tells it like it is.
22. tell off ,
a. to separate from the whole and assign to a particular duty.
b. Informal. to rebuke severely; scold: It was about time that someone told him off.
23. tell on , to tattle on (someone).
[ bef. 900; ME tellen, OE tellan to relate, count; c. D tellen to reckon, count, ON telja to count, say, OHG zellen; akin to TALE ]
Syn. 1. recount, describe, report. 2. impart. 4. speak. 6. disclose, betray; acknowledge, own, confess; declare.
tell 2
/tel/ , n.
an artificial mound consisting of the accumulated remains of one or more ancient settlements (often used in Egypt and the Middle East as part of a place name).
[ 1860-65; tall hillock ]