telltale

Plural: telltales

Noun

• A person who reveals secrets; an indicator revealing something.
• someone who gossips indiscreetly
• One who divulges private information with intent to hurt others.
• An indicator, such as a warning light, that serves to warn of a hazard or problem.
• Something that serves to reveal something else.
• A movable piece of ivory, lead, or other material, connected to the bellows of an organ, whose position indicates when the wind is exhausted.
• A length of yarn or ribbon attached to a sail or shroud etc to indicate the direction of the flow of the air relative to the boat.
• A mechanical attachment to the steering wheel, which, in the absence of a tiller, shows the position of the helm.
• A compass in the cabin of a vessel, usually placed where the captain can see it at all hours, and thus inform himself of the vessel's course.
• A machine or contrivance for indicating or recording something, particularly for keeping a check upon employees (factory hands, watchmen, drivers, etc.) by revealing to their employers what they have done or omitted.
• A bird, the tattler.
• A story or fable that has a moral or message.

Adjective Satellite

• disclosing unintentionally
  • "a telltale panel of lights"
  • "a telltale patch of oil on the water marked where the boat went down"

Adj

• Revealing something, especially something not intended to be known.

Examples

• A telltale blush crept into her cheeks as he approached.
• I noticed the snow was dirty, a telltale sign of recent human presence.
• The telltale sign of her winning hand was the smug look on her face.
• The telltale was the lipstick on his shirt collar.

Synonyms

blabbermouth, revealing, talebearer, taleteller, tattler, tattletale, telling, blab, blabtale, blabtongue, busybody, buzzer, carrytale, gossip, gossiper, gossipmonger, meddler, mouth, mumblenews, newsmonger, rumormonger, rumourmonger, scandalmonger, sleazemonger, squealer, tabby, talecarrier, telltale, telltale tit, titivil, tittle-tattle, town crier, whisperer

Related Words

tell tales

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