telltale
noun
UK/ˈtel.teɪl/
US/ˈtel.teɪl/
Definitions of telltale noun
- Countable
A person who secretly informs an authority figure, especially a teacher, about someone else's wrongdoing, often to cause trouble.
There are always a few telltales in the class who like to report the actions of other students to the teacher.
He lost the trust of his friends because he became a telltale.
The telltale revealed to the teacher who was cheating on the exam.
adjective
UK/ˈtel.teɪl/
US/ˈtel.teɪl/
Definitions of telltale adjective
- Before noun
Revealing a secret or indicating something that is not meant to be known.
The blush on his face was a telltale sign that he was lying.
She found the mud on his coat, a telltale sign he had walked in the rain.
The water stain was a telltale sign that someone had spilled something here.