telltale1 adjectivetelltale2 noun
telltaletell‧tale1 /ˈtelteɪl/ adjective 
ExamplesEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- Teachers are encouraged to look for telltale signs of abuse among their students.
- Internal haemorrhaging spills blood into the stomach, and this causes a telltale black vomit.
- It was a telltale sign that water was seeping through the canyon walls, softening the mica shale and conglomerate abutment.
- She removed the briefs and felt the telltale moisture below.
- The great majority, once they breach the system and hear the telltale whine, are out of there like a shot.
- The kelp bass with their telltale checkerboard markings are fabled in these waters.
- The out-of-state addresses were a telltale sign that the children were illegally adopted.
- Their spacing is regular, a telltale mark that the flow field around each sea pen defines the optimum spacing of neighbors.
Longman Language Activatorsomething that shows what is true or what is happening► sign
Collocations an event or fact that shows that something is true or that something is happening: · Therapy should begin when the first signs are noticed.sign of: · Stan has some of the early signs of heart disease.· Police searched the house thoroughly but found no signs of a break-in.sign (that): · A score of 80 or more is a sign that you are doing very well.be a sure sign (of/that) (=show that something is definitely true): · When Emma offers to help you it's a sure sign that she wants something from you!a good/hopeful/encouraging sign (=a sign that things are improving): · The rise in consumer spending is an encouraging sign that the economy may be recovering.
► indication something, especially someone's behaviour or what they say, that makes you believe that something is probably happening or has probably happened: indication of: · There was no indication of forced entry to the building.indication (that): · There are indications that the Labour Party will win the next election.give no/any/a good indication of something: · If she knew what was going on outside, she gave no indication of it.· The daily pollen count can give a good indication of the amount of allergens in the air.give/show every indication of (doing) something: · The two parties have shown every indication of a willingness to compromise.
► evidence facts, objects etc that show that something exists or is true: · Without any evidence we cannot prove that she was involved in murder.evidence of: · People have been looking for evidence of life on other planets for years.evidence that: · We can find no evidence that he ever worked for the company.visible evidence: · There was no visible evidence that humans had ever lived in this valley.
► symptom a sign that someone has an illness or that a serious problem exists: · First the doctor asked me to describe my symptoms.symptom of: · The first symptoms of hepatitis are tiredness, vomiting, and loss of weight.· In his speech the Bishop labelled these crimes as a symptom of society's moral decline.
► trace a very small sign that a particular situation exists or is true: trace of: · The thief was careful not to leave any trace of his activities.· Many local people were very eager to get rid of the last traces of their town's shameful past. with/without a trace of something: · Hans speaks English beautifully, without a trace of a foreign accent.
► manifestation formal a very clear sign that a particular situation or feeling exists: manifestation of: · This latest outbreak of violence is a clear manifestation of discontent in the city.· Some men feel that showing their emotions is a manifestation of weakness.
► omen something that happens which you think is a sign that something good or bad is going to happen in the future: · Do you think the rain is some kind of omen?bad omen: · George thought the car breaking down on the way to his wedding was a bad omen.good omen: · "Maybe this is a good omen," said Jill, seeing a blue sky for the first time in weeks.
► telltale: tell-tale signs/marks/symptoms etc signs that something is happening that are not very easy to notice, unless you know exactly what to look for : · In his face you could see the first tell-tale signs of alcoholism.· Teachers are encouraged to look for telltale signs of abuse among their students.
► be a giveaway if you say that something is a giveaway , you mean it clearly shows you the real truth about something, rather than what someone would like you to believe: · Those fake beams are a giveaway - it isn't really an old pub.be a dead giveaway (=show very clearly): · That nervous twitching was always a dead giveaway that he'd done something wrong.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES► a telltale/tell-tale sign
Phrases (=signs that clearly show something bad)· She would not look at me directly, a tell-tale sign that she was embarrassed.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN► sign· The out-of-state addresses were a telltale sign that the children were illegally adopted.· It was a telltale sign that water was seeping through the canyon walls, softening the mica shale and conglomerate abutment.· One telltale sign is when government hunkers down and starts to tinker with things.· Would we allow the police to search the sacred precincts of marital bedrooms for telltale signs of the use of contraceptives?
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► telltale signs/marks etc
telltale signs/marks etc signs etc that clearly show something has happened or exists, often something that is a secret: - Here are five telltale signs that the Ego is in command: 1.
- Then skim through your document for their telltale signs.
- Would we allow the police to search the sacred precincts of marital bedrooms for telltale signs of the use of contraceptives?
They examined the child carefully, looking for telltale signs of abuse.telltale1 adjectivetelltale2 noun
telltaletelltale2 noun [countable] British English ExamplesEXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
Collocations- Any false starts or false moves will result in error and the telltale bugs.
- Only professional decorum prevented me from picking up the remaining telltale and gnawing greedily away.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES► a telltale/tell-tale sign
a child who tells adults about other children’s secrets or bad behaviour – used by children to show disapproval SYN tattletale American English (=signs that clearly show something bad)· She would not look at me directly, a tell-tale sign that she was embarrassed.