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

We had learned to be on the lookout for the telltale signs.

From Los Angeles Times

These sorts of scams have been around for decades, though they often come with telltale signs of fraud, such as spelling mistakes and grammatical errors.

From BBC

The 49-second video clip, which has an authentic feel despite telltale clues of manipulation, illustrates the growing threat of disinformation and especially so-called deepfake videos powered by artificial intelligence.

From New York Times

But because these charts are rarely steadfast in their appearance, telltale signals can be interrupted by bad data or can mix together to create a confusing chart.

From Science Daily