TALE

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does tale mean? 

• TALE (noun)
  The noun TALE has 2 senses:

1. a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

2. a trivial lie

  Familiarity information: TALE used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• TALE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

narration; narrative; story; tale

Context example:

Disney's stories entertain adults as well as children

Hypernyms ("tale" is a kind of...):

content; message; subject matter; substance (what a communication that is about something is about)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "tale"):

tearjerker (an excessively sentimental narrative)

tall tale (an improbable (unusual or incredible or fanciful) story)

folk tale; folktale (a tale circulated by word of mouth among the common folk)

sob story; sob stuff (a sentimental story (or drama) of personal distress; designed to arouse sympathy)

fairy story; fairy tale; fairytale (a story about fairies; told to amuse children)

nursery rhyme (a tale in rhymed verse for children)

Instance hyponyms:

Canterbury Tales (an uncompleted series of tales written after 1387 by Geoffrey Chaucer)

Derivation:

tell (let something be known)

tell (narrate or give a detailed account of)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A trivial lie

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

fib; story; tale; taradiddle; tarradiddle

Context example:

how can I stop my child from telling stories?

Hypernyms ("tale" is a kind of...):

lie; prevarication (a statement that deviates from or perverts the truth)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "tale"):

cock-and-bull story; fairy story; fairy tale; fairytale; song and dance (an interesting but highly implausible story; often told as an excuse)

 Context examples 

I will confide this tale of misery and terror to you the day after our marriage shall take place, for, my sweet cousin, there must be perfect confidence between us.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

Is it not an odd tale?

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

When they had eaten and drank, and were very merry, the old king said he would tell them a tale.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

But what sounds like good nutritional advice turns out to be an old-wives' tale.

(Salty Diet Makes You Hungry, Not Thirsty, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

I never thought it would go where it could tell tales, said Jo, tearing up the verses the Professor had treasured so long.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Well, I was telling you my tale of woe.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“This is a very strange tale, Poole; this is rather a wild tale my man,” said Mr. Utterson, biting his finger.

(The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

Let me fill my jack first, boys, for it is a thirsty tale.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

So they sat down and listened while he told the following tale.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

And now I come to the amazing part of my tale.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)