verb
tattle
TATL
verb
1
To gossip or chatter, especially about other people's business.
"The neighbours loved to tattle about everyone on the street."
2
(especially of children) To report someone else's misbehaviour to an adult or authority figure.
"His little sister tattled on him for sneaking out."
noun
1
Idle gossip, or a piece of tale-telling about someone's wrongdoing.
"Nobody took the playground tattle seriously."
How to Use Tattle
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo gossip, or — especially for kids — to tell on someone.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
tattle on someone
idle tattle
Word Forms
tattled past tense, tattles plural, tattles singular
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Etymology
From Middle Dutch tatelen/tateren ("to babble, chatter"), an imitative word echoed across several Germanic languages.