Tell \Tell\ (t[e^]l), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Told} (t[=o]ld); p.
   pr. & vb. n. {Telling}.] [AS. tellan, from talu tale, number,
   speech; akin to D. tellen to count, G. z[aum]hlen, OHG.
   zellen to count, tell, say, Icel. telja, Dan. tale to speak,
   t[ae]lle to count. See {Tale} that which is told.]
   1. To mention one by one, or piece by piece; to recount; to
      enumerate; to reckon; to number; to count; as, to tell
      money. "An heap of coin he told." --Spenser.
      
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            He telleth the number of the stars.   --Ps. cxlvii.
                                                  4.
      
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            Tell the joints of the body.          --Jer. Taylor.
      
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   2. To utter or recite in detail; to give an account of; to
      narrate.
      
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            Of which I shall tell all the array.  --Chaucer.
      
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            And not a man appears to tell their fate. --Pope.
      
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   3. To make known; to publish; to disclose; to divulge.
      
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            Why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?
                                                  --Gen. xii.
                                                  18.
      
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   4. To give instruction to; to make report to; to acquaint; to
      teach; to inform.
      
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            A secret pilgrimage,
            That you to-day promised to tell me of? --Shak.
      
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   5. To order; to request; to command.
      
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            He told her not to be frightened.     --Dickens.
      
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   6. To discern so as to report; to ascertain by observing; to
      find out; to discover; as, I can not tell where one color
      ends and the other begins.
      
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   7. To make account of; to regard; to reckon; to value; to
      estimate. [Obs.]
      
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            I ne told no dainity of her love.     --Chaucer.
      
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   Note: Tell, though equivalent in some respect to speak and
         say, has not always the same application. We say, to
         tell truth or falsehood, to tell a number, to tell the
         reasons, to tell something or nothing; but we never
         say, to tell a speech, discourse, or oration, or to
         tell an argument or a lesson. It is much used in
         commands; as, tell me the whole story; tell me all you
         know.
         
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   {To tell off}, to count; to divide. --Sir W. Scott.
      
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   Syn: To communicate; impart; reveal; disclose; inform;
        acquaint; report; repeat; rehearse; recite.
        
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Tell \Tell\, v. i.
   1. To give an account; to make report.
      
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            That I may publish with the voice of thankgiving,
            and tell of all thy wondrous works.   --Ps. xxvi. 7.
      
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   2. To take effect; to produce a marked effect; as, every shot
      tells; every expression tells.
      
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   {To tell of}.
      (a) To speak of; to mention; to narrate or describe.
      (b) To inform against; to disclose some fault of.

   {To tell on}, to inform against. [Archaic & Colloq.]
      
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            Lest they should tell on us, saying, So did David.
                                                  --1 Sam.
                                                  xxvii. 11.
      
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Tell \Tell\, n.
   That which is told; tale; account. [R.]
   
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         I am at the end of my tell.              --Walpole.
   
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Tell \Tell\, n. [Ar.]
   A hill or mound. --W. M. Thomson.
   
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