tale
(noun)
LISTEN
A tale is a story about a real or imaginary incident.
- The old soldiers got together and told tales about the war.
- The tale of the tortoise and the hare reminds us to use our abilities wisely.
A tale can also be a lie.
- Keith is telling tales about his ex-wife again.
Don't confuse it with
tail: the back part of an animal that forms a growth. Example: “The dog wagged its tail when the doorbell rang.”
Common uses
tell tales out of school: to gossip. Example: “I shouldn’t tell tales out of school, but Bob and Alice are getting a divorce.”
Related words
tattletale: someone who betrays another by telling secrets. Example: “Marcy is a tattletale. She told the teacher who was cheating on the test.”
In pop culture
The Handmaid’s Tale is a book by Margaret Atwood that is now a TV series. A tale is often an imagined story. Do you think this could actually happen? Watch the trailer.
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