telltale
telltale Lexical Profile
telltale Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Revealing, indicating, or betraying something that is intended to remain hidden or secret.
"The crumpled wrapper on the floor was a telltale sign that someone had eaten the last cookie."
• noun
A person, especially a child, who reports others' wrongdoings or reveals private matters.
"Nobody in the classroom wanted to be labeled a telltale by reporting the prank to the teacher."
An outward sign or piece of evidence that reveals something concealed.
"A slight tremor in his voice served as a telltale of his underlying nervousness."
A mechanical, electrical, or visual device that indicates or registers the status, position, or operation of a system, such as a strip of yarn attached to a sail to show wind direction.
"The skipper watched the yarn telltales fluttering on the headsail to trim the canvas properly."
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in Middle English as a verb-object compound from "tell" and "tale," originally referring to a person who spreads rumors or betrays secrets.