tattle

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tat·tle

(tăt′l)

v. tat·tled, tat·tling, tat·tles

v.intr.

1. To reveal the plans or activities of another, especially ones that are secret or improper: tattled on his sister when she snuck out; tattled to his parents about what his sister did.

2. To chatter; prate.

v.tr.

To reveal (something about someone) to another, as through gossiping.

1. Idle talk; chatter; prattle.

2. A tattletale.

[Middle English tatelen, to stammer, probably from Middle Dutch, of imitative origin.]

tat′tling·ly adv.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

tattle

(ˈtætəl)

1. (intr) to gossip about another's personal matters or secrets

2. (tr) to reveal by gossiping: to tattle a person's secrets.

3. (intr) to talk idly; chat

4. the act or an instance of tattling

5. a scandalmonger or gossip

[C15 (in the sense: to stammer, hesitate): from Middle Dutch tatelen to prate, of imitative origin]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

tat•tle

(ˈtæt l)

v. -tled, -tling,
n. v.i.

1. to tell something secret or private about another, often out of spite.

2. to chatter, prate, or gossip.

v.t.

3. to utter idly; disclose by gossiping.

4. tattle on, to betray by tattling.

5. the act of tattling.

6. idle talk; chatter; gossip.

[1475–85; < dial. Dutch tatelen, akin to Middle Low German tateren]

tat′tling•ly, adv.

tattle

Past participle: tattled
Gerund: tattling

Imperative
tattle
tattle

Present
I tattle
you tattle
he/she/it tattles
we tattle
you tattle
they tattle

Preterite
I tattled
you tattled
he/she/it tattled
we tattled
you tattled
they tattled

Present Continuous
I am tattling
you are tattling
he/she/it is tattling
we are tattling
you are tattling
they are tattling

Present Perfect
I have tattled
you have tattled
he/she/it has tattled
we have tattled
you have tattled
they have tattled

Past Continuous
I was tattling
you were tattling
he/she/it was tattling
we were tattling
you were tattling
they were tattling

Past Perfect
I had tattled
you had tattled
he/she/it had tattled
we had tattled
you had tattled
they had tattled

Future
I will tattle
you will tattle
he/she/it will tattle
we will tattle
you will tattle
they will tattle

Future Perfect
I will have tattled
you will have tattled
he/she/it will have tattled
we will have tattled
you will have tattled
they will have tattled

Future Continuous
I will be tattling
you will be tattling
he/she/it will be tattling
we will be tattling
you will be tattling
they will be tattling

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been tattling
you have been tattling
he/she/it has been tattling
we have been tattling
you have been tattling
they have been tattling

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been tattling
you will have been tattling
he/she/it will have been tattling
we will have been tattling
you will have been tattling
they will have been tattling

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been tattling
you had been tattling
he/she/it had been tattling
we had been tattling
you had been tattling
they had been tattling

Conditional
I would tattle
you would tattle
he/she/it would tattle
we would tattle
you would tattle
they would tattle

Past Conditional
I would have tattled
you would have tattled
he/she/it would have tattled
we would have tattled
you would have tattled
they would have tattled

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	tattle - disclosing information or giving evidence about another singing, telling disclosure, revealing, revelation - the speech act of making something evident
Verb	1.	tattle - speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly blabber, palaver, piffle, prate, prattle, tittle-tattle, twaddle, gabble, gibber, blab, clack, maunder, chatter mouth, speak, talk, verbalise, verbalize, utter - express in speech; "She talks a lot of nonsense"; "This depressed patient does not verbalize" blather, blether, blither, smatter, babble - to talk foolishly; "The two women babbled and crooned at the baby"
	2.	tattle - divulge confidential information or secrets; "Be careful--his secretary talks" babble out, blab, blab out, let the cat out of the bag, peach, spill the beans, babble, talk, sing disclose, let on, divulge, expose, give away, let out, reveal, unwrap, discover, bring out, break - make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret; "The auction house would not disclose the price at which the van Gogh had sold"; "The actress won't reveal how old she is"; "bring out the truth"; "he broke the news to her"; "unwrap the evidence in the murder case" talk, spill - reveal information; "If you don't oblige me, I'll talk!"; "The former employee spilled all the details"

tattle

verb

1. gossip, talk idly I make it a rule not to tattle.

2. tell tales, report, inform, squeal (informal), spill the beans He encourages people to tattle on one another.

noun

1. gossip, hearsay, tittle-tattle, idle talk This was not just idle newspaper tattle.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

tattle

verb

1. To engage in or spread gossip:

blab, gossip, noise, rumor, talk, tittle-tattle, whisper.

Idioms: tell tales, tell tales out of school.

2. To give incriminating information about others, especially to the authorities:

inform, talk, tip (off).

Informal: fink.

Slang: rat, sing, snitch, squeal, stool.

Idiom: blow the whistle.

noun

1. Idle, often sensational and groundless talk about others:

gossip, gossipry, hearsay, report, rumor, talebearing, tittle-tattle, word.

Slang: scuttlebutt.

2. A person habitually engaged in idle talk about others:

blab, gossip, gossiper, gossipmonger, newsmonger, rumormonger, scandalmonger, tabby, talebearer, taleteller, tattler, tattletale, telltale, whisperer.

Slang: yenta.

Translations

hecheln

spettegolare

tattle

[ˈtætl]

A. N (= chat) → charla f; (= gossip) → chismes mpl, habladurías fpl

B. VI (= chat) → charlar, parlotear; (= gossip) → chismear, contar chismes

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

tattle

vi → tratschen (inf), → klatschen

n → Geschwätz nt, → Gerede nt; office tattle → Büroklatsch m → or -tratsch m (inf)

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

tattle

[ˈtætl]

1. vi → spettegolare

2. n → chiacchiere fpl, pettegolezzi mpl

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References in classic literature ?

"Do you know why, husband?" replied Teresa; "because of the proverb that says 'who covers thee, discovers thee.' At the poor man people only throw a hasty glance; on the rich man they fix their eyes; and if the said rich man was once on a time poor, it is then there is the sneering and the tattle and spite of backbiters; and in the streets here they swarm as thick as bees."

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It was not for me of course to make the domestics tattle, and I never said a word to Miss Bordereau's cook.

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So much for art; and, as for history, we have the gossiping reminiscences of the great pillar, still ringing with the tattle of the Patru.

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