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tell1
v.t.1. to give an account or narrative of; narrate; relate (a story, tale, etc.): to tell the story of Lincoln's childhood.3. to announce or proclaim.4. to utter (the truth, a lie, etc.).5. to express in words (thoughts, feelings, etc.).6. to reveal or divulge (something secret or private).7. to say plainly or positively: I cannot tell just what was done.8. to discern or recognize (a distant person or thing) so as to be able to identify or describe: Can you tell who that is over there?9. to distinguish; discriminate; ascertain: You could hardly tell the difference between them.10. to inform (a person) of something: He told me his name.11. to assure emphatically: I won't, I tell you!12. to bid, order, or command: Tell him to stop.13. to mention one after another, as in enumerating; count or set one by one or in exact amount: to tell the cattle in a herd; All told there were 17 if we are correct.v.i.14. to give an account or report: Tell me about your trip.15. to give evidence or be an indication: The ruined temples told of an ancient culture, long since passed from existence.16. to disclose something secret or private; inform; tattle: She knows who did it, but she won't tell.17. to say positively; determine; predict: Who can tell?18. to have force or effect; operate effectively: a contest in which every stroke tells.19. to produce a marked or severe effect: The strain was telling on his health.20. Brit. Dial. to talk or chat.21. tell it like it is, Informal. to tell the complete, unadulterated truth; be forthright: He may be crude but he tells it like it is.22. tell off,a. to separate from the whole and assign to a particular duty.b. Informal. to rebuke severely; scold: It was about time that someone told him off.23. tell on, to tattle on (someone).[bef. 900; ME tellen, OE tellan to relate, count; c. D tellen to reckon, count, ON telja to count, say, OHG zellen; akin to TALE]Syn. 1. recount, describe, report. 2. impart. 4. speak. 6. disclose, betray; acknowledge, own, confess; declare.tell2/tel/, n.an artificial mound consisting of the accumulated remains of one or more ancient settlements (often used in Egypt and the Middle East as part of a place name).[1860-65; < Ar tall hillock]
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(as used in expressions)Tell MardikhTell AsmarAmarna Tell elTell William* * *
▪ mound(“hill” or “small elevation”), in Middle Eastern archaeology, a raised mound marking the site of an ancient city. For specific sites, see under substantive word (e.g., Ḥasi, Tel).The shape of a tell is generally that of a low truncated cone. In ancient times, houses were constructed of piled-up mud (pisé), lumps of clay pressed together (adobe), or (later) sun-dried or kiln-baked bricks strengthened with straw, gravel, or potsherds. All mud structures, however, crumble easily when exposed to the elements, and that feature, combined with repeated wholesale destruction from man-made or natural causes, made repairs and rebuildings frequent. Earlier debris was simply leveled off, and new buildings were erected on top of it. Thus, most tells are stratified, with the lower strata usually being older than those above them.Two other terms, hüyük and tepe, have almost the same meaning as tall and are often used by archaeologists when referring to ancient sites in parts of the Middle East.* * *
Universalium. 2010.
