telltale

[ tel-teyl ]

noun

1. a person who heedlessly or maliciously reveals private or confidential matters; tattler; talebearer.
2. a thing serving to reveal or disclose something.
3. any of various indicating or registering devices, as a time clock.
4. Music. a gauge on an organ for indicating the air pressure.
5. an indicator showing the position of a ship's rudder.
6. a row of strips hung over a track to warn train crew members on freight trains that a low bridge, tunnel, or the like is approaching.
7. Yachting. (on a sailboat) a feather, string, or similar device, often attached to the port and starboard shrouds and to the backstay, to indicate the relative direction of the wind.
8. Squash. a narrow piece of metal across the front wall of a court, parallel to and extending 17 inches (43.2 centimeters) above the base: a ball striking this is an out.

adjective

1. that reveals or betrays what is not intended to be known:

   a telltale blush.

2. giving notice or warning of something, as a mechanical device.

telltale

/ ˈtɛlˌteɪl /

noun

1. a person who tells tales about others
2. 1. an outward indication of something concealed
   2. ( as modifier )

      a telltale paw mark

3. any of various indicators or recording devices used to monitor a process, machine, etc
4. nautical
   1. another word for dogvane
   2. one of a pair of light vanes mounted on the main shrouds of a sailing boat to indicate the apparent direction of the wind

Other Words From

• telltalely adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of telltale¹

First recorded in 1540–50; tell ¹ + tale

Example Sentences

That’s enough of a red flag by itself, but JP’s 24/7 style commitment to stars, stripes and ye olde red, white and blue had viewers scouring footage for signs of a telltale scarlet cap.

From Salon

He added: “From our perspective we didn’t break the law in any way, having said that, yes, maybe you’re right in that maybe there were certain telltale signs or things like that, but that would have been for the HR department who were dealing with it on the front line.”

From BBC

It does require a “good, hard shake” of cooled espresso or cold brew concentrate with vodka and coffee liqueur to achieve its telltale cap of thick, creamy foam, Davy says, potentially frustrating as orders pile up.

From Salon

With "Indoor Safari," Lowe is amply backed by Los Straitjackets, the surf-infused, rock ‘n’ roll band, complete with telltale masks, from Nashville.

From Salon

He had dropped some clients off at the Monterey airport when he noticed a woman washing ash and dead bugs off the front of her plane, telltale signs she had been flying low and slow over a wildfire.

From Los Angeles Times