tale

UK: /ˈteɪl/ US: /teɪl/ ,(tāl)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

tale /teɪl/   n. [countable]

1. a story of an incident:
   the scary tale of Count Dracula.
2. a lie, esp. against another:
   telling tales again.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

tale (tāl),  n. 

1. a narrative that relates the details of some real or imaginary event, incident, or case;
   story:
   a tale about Lincoln's dog.
2. a literary composition having the form of such a narrative.
3. a falsehood;
   lie.
4. a rumor or piece of gossip, often malicious or untrue.
5. the full number or amount.
6. [Archaic.] enumeration;
   count.
7. [Obs.] talk;
   discourse.

• bef. 900; Middle English; Old English talu series, list, narrative, story; cognate with Dutch taal speech, language, German Zahl number, Old Norse tala number, speech. See tell¹

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

tale / teɪl/ noun

1. a report, narrative, or story
2. one of a group of short stories connected by an overall narrative framework
3. a malicious or meddlesome rumour or piece of gossip
4. (in combination): talebearer, taleteller
5. a fictitious or false statement
6. tell tales ⇒ to tell fanciful lies
7. to report malicious stories, trivial complaints, etc, esp to someone in authority
8. tell a tale ⇒ to reveal something important
9. tell its own tale ⇒ to be self-evident
10. a number; amount
11. an obsolete word for talk

Etymology: Old English talu list; related to Old Frisian tele talk, Old Saxon, Old Norse tala talk, number, Old High German zala number