What does tattle mean?

Definitions for tattle
ˈtæt ltat·tle

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word tattle.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. tattle, singing, tellingverb

    disclosing information or giving evidence about another

  2. chatter, piffle, palaver, prate, tittle-tattle, twaddle, clack, maunder, prattle, blab, gibber, tattle, blabber, gabbleverb

    speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly

  3. spill the beans, let the cat out of the bag, talk, tattle, blab, peach, babble, sing, babble out, blab outverb

    divulge confidential information or secrets

    "Be careful--his secretary talks"

Wiktionary

  1. tattlenoun

    A tattletale.

  2. tattlenoun

    Gossip; idle talk.

  3. tattleverb

    To report others' wrongdoings or violations; to tell on somebody; to gossip or to disclose incriminating information.

  4. tattleverb

    To chatter.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. Tattlenoun

    Prate; idle chat; trifling talk.

    Etymology: from the verb.

    They asked her, how she lik’d the play?
    Then told the tattle of the day. Jonathan Swift, Miscel.

    Such tattle often entertains
    My lord and me. Jonathan Swift.

    A young academick shall dwell upon trade and politicks in a dictatorial stile, while at the same time persons well skilled in those different subjects hear the impertinent tattle with a just contempt. Isaac Watts, Improvement of the Mind.

  2. To Tattleverb

    To prate; to talk idly; to use many words with little meaning.

    Etymology: tateren, Dutch.

    He stands on terms of honourable mind,
    Ne will be carried with every common wind
    Of court’s inconstant mutability,
    Ne after every tattling fable fly. Hubberd’s Tale.

    The one is too like an image, and says nothing; and the other too like my lady’s eldest son, evermore tattling. William Shakespeare.

    Excuse it by the tattling quality of age, which is always narrative. Dryden.

    The world is forward enough to tattle of them. John Locke.

    Their language is extremely proper to tattle in; it is made up of so much repetition and compliment. Addison.

Wikipedia

  1. tattle

    Gossip is idle talk or rumour, especially about the personal or private affairs of others; the act is also known as dishing or tattling.Gossip is a topic of research in evolutionary psychology, which has found gossip to be an important means for people to monitor cooperative reputations and so maintain widespread indirect reciprocity. Indirect reciprocity is a social interaction in which one actor helps another and is then benefited by a third party. Gossip has also been identified by Robin Dunbar, an evolutionary biologist, as aiding social bonding in large groups.

ChatGPT

  1. tattle

    Tattle refers to the act of revealing private or confidential information about someone, often in a gossiping or malicious way, with the intention of causing harm or getting someone into trouble. It can also refer to a person who divulges such information.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Tattleverb

    to prate; to talk idly; to use many words with little meaning; to chat

  2. Tattleverb

    to tell tales; to communicate secrets; to be a talebearer; as, a tattling girl

  3. Tattlenoun

    idle talk or chat; trifling talk; prate

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Tattle

    tat′l, n. trifling talk or chat.—v.i. to talk idly or triflingly: to tell tales or secrets.—n. idle talk.—ns. Tatt′ler, one given to tattling; Tatt′lery, idle talk.—p.adj. Tatt′ling, given to tattling or telling tales.—n. (Shak.) the act of tale-telling.—adv. Tatt′lingly. [M. E. tatelen; Low Ger. tateln, to gabble; an imit. word.]

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Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of tattle in Chaldean Numerology is: 3

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of tattle in Pythagorean Numerology is: 6

Examples of tattle in a Sentence

  1. Parker Conrad:

    We lived illicitly in this retirement community for six months, which was the worst six months of my life, every time you drove in, you had to check in with a security guard, and we would say we were there to visit Mike’s grandparents. The downstairs neighbors were very nice and gracious and didn’t tattle on us, although they easily could have, and the security guards just rolled their eyes.

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Translations for tattle

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"tattle." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Apr. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/tattle>.

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