tell

1 [tel] verb, told, tell·ing.
verb (used with object)
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.
verb (used without object)
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.
British Dialect. to talk or chat.
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Verb phrases
21.
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.
22.
tell on, to tattle on (someone).
Idioms
23.
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.
Origin:
before 900; Middle English tellen, Old English tellan to relate, count; cognate with Dutch tellen to reckon, count, Old Norse telja to count, say, Old High German zellēn; akin to tale

Synonyms
1. recount, describe, report. 2. impart. 4. speak. 6. disclose, betray; acknowledge, own, confess; declare.
Dictionary.com Unabridged

tell

2 [tel]
noun
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).
Origin:
1860–65; < Arabic tall hillock

Tell

[tel]
noun
Wil·helm [vil-helm] , William Tell.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To Tell
Collins
World English Dictionary
tell1 (tɛl) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—vb (when intr, usually foll by of) (often foll by of) (sometimes foll by on) , tells, telling, told
1.  (when tr, may take a clause as object) to let know or notify: he told me that he would go
2.  (tr) to order or instruct (someone to do something): I told her to send the letter airmail
3.  to give an account or narration (of something): she told me her troubles
4.  (tr) to communicate by words; utter: to tell the truth
5.  (tr) to make known; disclose: to tell fortunes
6.  to serve as an indication: her blush told of her embarrassment
7.  (tr; used with can, etc; may take a clause as object) to comprehend, discover, or discern: I can tell what is wrong
8.  (tr; used with can, etc) to distinguish or discriminate: he couldn't tell chalk from cheese
9.  (intr) to have or produce an impact, effect, or strain: every step told on his bruised feet
10.  informal to reveal secrets or gossip (about): don't tell!; she told on him
11.  (tr) to assure: I tell you, I've had enough!
12.  (tr) to count (votes)
13.  dialect (intr) to talk or chatter
14.  informal chiefly (US) to tell the truth no matter how unpleasant it is
15.  tell the time to read the time from a clock
16.  slang you're telling me I know that very well
 
[Old English tellan; related to Old Saxon tellian, Old High German zellen to tell, count, Old Norse telja]
 
'tellable1
 
—adj

tell2 (tɛl) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n
a large mound resulting from the accumulation of rubbish on a long-settled site, esp one with mudbrick buildings, particularly in the Middle East
 
[C19: from Arabic tall]

Tell (tɛl) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n
William, German name Wilhelm Tell. a legendary Swiss patriot, who, traditionally, lived in the early 14th century and was compelled by an Austrian governor to shoot an apple from his son's head with one shot of his crossbow. He did so without mishap

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

tell
O.E. tellan "to reckon, calculate, consider, account," from P.Gmc. *taljanan "to mention in order" (cf. O.S. tellian, O.N. telja, O.Fris. tella "to count, tell," Du. tellen "to count, reckon," O.S. talon "to count, reckon," Dan. tale "to speak," O.H.G. zalon, Ger. zählen "to count, reckon"), from
base *talo (see tale). Meaning "to narrate, relate" is from c.1000; that of "to make known by speech or writing, announce" is from c.1122. Sense of "to reveal or disclose" is from c.1400; that of "to act as an informer, to 'peach' " is recorded from 1901. Meaning "to order (someone to do something)" is from 1599. Original sense in teller and phrase to tell time. For sense evolution, cf. Fr. conter "to count," raconter "to recount;" It. contare, Sp. contar "to count, recount, narrate;" Ger. zählen "to count," erzählen "to recount, narrate."
"I tolde hyme so, & euer he seyde nay." [Thomas Hoccleve, "The Regiment of Princes," c.1412]
Telling "having effect or force" is from 1852.

tell
"mound, hill," 1864, from Arabic tall, related to Heb. tel "mount, hill, heap."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases

tell

In addition to the idioms beginning with tell, also see do tell; kiss and tell; show and tell; something tells me; there's no telling; thing or two, tell a; time will tell; which is which, tell; you never can tell; you're telling me. Also see under told.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia

tell

("hill" or "small elevation"), in Middle Eastern archaeology, a raised mound marking the site of an ancient city. For specific sites, see under substantive word (e.g., Hasi, Tel)

Learn more about tell with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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Example sentences from the web
A woman got onto the elevator, recognized him and said, i have to tell you, mr.
He is often heard by the audience through voiceovers that tell what is on his
  mind.
Swift, for example, does not directly tell his readers what is of value.
They then hypnotise him to return home and not tell what happened to him.
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