Dictionary
Thesaurus
Medical
Scrabble®
Spanish Central
Browse DictionaryBrowse Thesaurus
Get our free apps!iPhone•iPad•Android
Games
Word of the Day
Video
Blog: Words at Play
My Faves
Dictionary

1tattle

noun tat·tle \ˈta-təl\

Definition of TATTLE

1
:  idle talk :  chatter
2
:  gossip
ADVERTISEMENT

First Known Use of TATTLE

circa 1529

Related to TATTLE

Synonyms
buzz, dish, gossip, hearsay, noise, report, scuttlebutt, talk, rumor, word

Rhymes with TATTLE

battle, brattle, cattle, chattel, prattle, rattle

2tattle

verb

: to tell a parent, teacher, etc., about something bad or wrong that another child has done

tat·tledtat·tling \ˈtat-liŋ, ˈta-təl-iŋ\

Full Definition of TATTLE

intransitive verb
1
:  chatter, prate
2
:  to tell secrets :  blab
transitive verb
:  to utter or disclose in gossip or chatter
See tattle defined for English-language learners
See tattle defined for kids

Origin of TATTLE

Middle Dutch tatelen; akin to Middle English tateren to tattle
First Known Use: 1547

Related to TATTLE

Synonyms
blab, dish, talk, gossip, wag

Rhymes with TATTLE

battle, brattle, prattle, rattle
TATTLE Defined for Kids

tattle

verb tat·tle \ˈta-təl\
tat·tledtat·tling

Definition of TATTLE for Kids

:  to tell on someone
— tat·tler \ˈtat-lər\ noun

Learn More About TATTLE

Browse

2 ENTRIES FOUND:
  1. tattle
  2. tittle-tattle
Next Word in the Dictionary: tattlerPrevious Word in the Dictionary: tattingAll Words Near: tattle
ADVERTISEMENT
10 Charming Words for Nasty People
Put-downs with flair
Learn More
When "Literally" isn't, well, literal
How to use a word that (literally) drives some people nuts.
Watch Now
Know what this is?
Test your vocab with our fun, fast game
Go Play
Fear of cats?
Ailurophobia, and 9 other unusual fears
Learn More
Join Us
Merriam-Webster
on Facebook
Merriam-Webster
on Twitter
Bookstore: Digital and Print
Merriam-Webster references for Mobile, Kindle, print, and more.
See All
Other Merriam-Webster Dictionaries