tally

[ tal-ee ]

noun

, plural tal·lies.

1. an account or reckoning; a record of debit and credit, of the score of a game, or the like.

   Synonyms: enumeration, count, inventory

2. Also called tally stick. a stick of wood with notches cut to indicate the amount of a debt or payment, often split lengthwise across the notches, the debtor retaining one piece and the creditor the other.
3. anything on which a score or account is kept.
4. a notch or mark made on or in a tally.
5. a number or group of items recorded.
6. a mark made to register a certain number of items, as four consecutive vertical lines with a diagonal line through them to indicate a group of five.
7. a number of objects serving as a unit of computation.
8. a ticket, label, or mark used as a means of identification, classification, etc.
9. anything corresponding to another thing as a counterpart or duplicate.

verb (used with object)

, tal·lied, tal·ly·ing.

1. to mark or enter on a tally; register; record.

   Synonyms: list, enroll

2. to count or reckon up.

   Synonyms: calculate, enumerate

3. to furnish with a tally or identifying label.
4. to cause to correspond or agree.

verb (used without object)

, tal·lied, tal·ly·ing.

1. to correspond, as one part of a tally with the other; accord or agree:

   Does his story tally with hers?

2. to score a point or make a goal, as in a game.

tally

/ ˈtælɪ /

verb

1. intr to correspond one with the other

   the two stories don't tally

2. tr to supply with an identifying tag
3. intr to keep score
4. obsolete.
   tr to record or mark

noun

1. any record of debit, credit, the score in a game, etc
2. a ticket, label, or mark, used as a means of identification, classification, etc
3. a counterpart or duplicate of something, such as the counterfoil of a cheque
4. a stick used (esp formerly) as a record of the amount of a debt according to the notches cut in it
5. a notch or mark cut in or made on such a stick
6. a mark or number of marks used to represent a certain number in counting
7. the total number of sheep shorn by one shearer in a specified period of time

Derived Forms

• ˈtallier, noun

Other Words From

• talli·er noun
• re·tally noun plural retallies verb retallied retallying
• un·tallied adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of tally¹

1275–1325; (noun) Middle English taly < Medieval Latin talia, variant of Latin tālea rod, cutting, literally, heel-piece, derivative of tālus heel; (v.) late Middle English talyen, derivative of the noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of tally¹

C15: from Medieval Latin tālea, from Latin: a stick; related to Latin tālus heel

Example Sentences

The City of Love has played host to the 'King of Clay's' greatest triumphs, racking up a tally of 14 French Open victories which few think will ever be bettered.

From BBC

Over the past 15 years, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspected BaronHR’s work sites roughly 65 times, tallying nearly 100 violations with fines totaling at least $335,000, according to federal data.

From New York Times

If a vote-by-mail ballot is dropped off in another county’s drop box, election officials must send it to the correct county recorder’s office to be tallied.

From Los Angeles Times

An additional 90 structures were also damaged, according to the latest tally from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

From Los Angeles Times

But simply tallying up the lies gives no insight into their purpose.

From Salon

Related Words

• poll
• total