Associations to the word «Telltale»

TELLTALE, noun. One who divulges private information with intent to hurt others.

TELLTALE, noun. (chiefly US) (slang) Tattletale; squealer.

TELLTALE, noun. Something that serves to reveal something else.

TELLTALE, noun. (music) A movable piece of ivory, lead, or other material, connected to the bellows of an organ, whose position indicates when the wind is exhausted.

TELLTALE, noun. (nautical) 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.

TELLTALE, noun. (nautical) A mechanical attachment to the steering wheel, which, in the absence of a tiller, shows the position of the helm.

TELLTALE, noun. (nautical) 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.

TELLTALE, noun. (engineering) 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.

TELLTALE, noun. A bird, the tattler.

TELLTALE, adjective. Revealing something not intended to be known

TELLTALE COMPASS, noun. (nautical) A compass installed in the cabin so that the captain or other officer may check the course of a ship without going to the deck; often upturned and suspended from the ceiling.

TELLTALE COMPASSES, noun. Plural of telltale compass

TELLTALE, noun. Someone who gossips indiscreetly.

TELLTALE, adjective. Disclosing unintentionally; "a telling smile"; "a telltale panel of lights"; "a telltale patch of oil on the water marked where the boat went down".