tale
tale Lexical Profile
tale Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A fictitious or true narrative or story, especially one that is imaginatively recounted or steeped in folklore.
"The grandmother captivated the children with an ancient tale about dragons and hidden treasure."
A falsehood, lie, or piece of malicious gossip, often told to exaggeration or to get someone into trouble.
"The teacher reminded the students not to spread tales about their classmates on the playground."
A total count, reckoning, or tally of items (archaic).
"The shepherd kept a careful tale of his flock as they passed through the wooden gate."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'tale' (a narrative or story) with its homophone 'tail' (the hindmost appendage of an animal).
• Rhymes for tale
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English talu, meaning 'series, calculation, list, or story,' derived from the Proto-Germanic root *talo. It shares an ancestral root with the verb 'tell' and the noun 'tally', reflecting the ancient connection between counting items in sequence and recounting events.