tale
/ˈteɪl/ · tale
noun
- An account of an asserted fact or circumstance; a rumour; a report, especially an idle or malicious story; a piece of gossip or slander; a lie. Don't tell tales about your friends.
- A rehearsal of what has occurred; narrative; discourse; statement; history; story. The Canterbury Tales is a famous collection of medieval stories.
- A number told or counted off; a reckoning by count; an enumeration. The tale of the votes showed a clear winner.
Did you know? The word 'tale' has been used in various forms of literature, including Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, which is considered one of the greatest works of Middle English literature.