told

[ tohld ]
/ toʊld /

verb

simple past tense and past participle of tell1.

Idioms for told

    all told, counting everyone or everything; in all: There were 50 guests all told.

OTHER WORDS FROM told

well-told, adjective

Definition for told (2 of 2)

tell 1
[ tel ]
/ tɛl /

verb (used with object), told, tell·ing.

verb (used without object), told, tell·ing.

Verb Phrases

tell off,
  1. to separate from the whole and assign to a particular duty.
  2. Informal. to rebuke severely; scold: It was about time that someone told him off.
tell on, to tattle on (someone).

Origin of tell

1
before 900; Middle English tellen, Old English tellan to relate, count; cognate with Dutch tellen to reckon, count, Old Norse telja to count, say, Old High German zellēn; akin to tale

Example sentences from the Web for told

British Dictionary definitions for told (1 of 4)

told
/ (təʊld) /

verb

the past tense and past participle of tell 1

adjective

See all told

British Dictionary definitions for told (2 of 4)

Tell
/ (tɛl) /

noun

William, German name Wilhelm Tell. a legendary Swiss patriot, who, traditionally, lived in the early 14th century and was compelled by an Austrian governor to shoot an apple from his son's head with one shot of his crossbow. He did so without mishap

British Dictionary definitions for told (3 of 4)

tell 1
/ (tɛl) /

verb tells, telling or told

See also tell apart, tell off

Derived forms of tell

tellable, adjective

Word Origin for tell

Old English tellan; related to Old Saxon tellian, Old High German zellen to tell, count, Old Norse telja

British Dictionary definitions for told (4 of 4)

tell 2
/ (tɛl) /

noun

a large mound resulting from the accumulation of rubbish on a long-settled site, esp one with mudbrick buildings, particularly in the Middle East

Word Origin for tell

C19: from Arabic tall

Idioms and Phrases with told (1 of 2)

told

see all told; I told you so; little bird told me. also see under tell.

Idioms and Phrases with told (2 of 2)

tell