Meaning of tell in English

Verb
tell
Etymology
Old English tellan ‘relate, count, estimate’, of Germanic origin; related to German zählen‘reckon, count’, erzählen‘recount, relate’, also to tale
Definitions
1. express in words
Examples
- « He said that he wanted to marry her »
- « tell me what is bothering you »
- « state your opinion »
- « state your name »
2. let something be known
Examples
- « Tell them that you will be late »
3. narrate or give a detailed account of
Examples
- « Tell what happened »
- « The father told a story to his child »
4. give instructions to or direct somebody to do something with authority
Examples
- « I said to him to go home »
- « She ordered him to do the shopping »
- « The mother told the child to get dressed »
5. discern or comprehend
Examples
- « He could tell that she was unhappy »
6. inform positively and with certainty and confidence
Examples
- « I tell you that man is a crook! »
7. give evidence
Examples
- « he was telling on all his former colleague »
8. mark as different
Examples
- « We distinguish several kinds of maple »
Noun
Tell
Etymology
mid 19th century: from Arabic tall‘hillock’
Definitions
1. a Swiss patriot who lived in the early 14th century and who was renowned for his skill as an archer
Examples
- « according to legend an Austrian governor compelled him to shoot an apple from his son's head with his crossbow (which he did successfully without mishap) »

Pronunciation