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tell off. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
tell off, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
tell off in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
tell off you have here. The definition of the word
tell off will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
tell off, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
From the military order: "number" - when starting with the first soldier, each would number himself out loud, counting in sequence file by file and rank by rank.
Verb
tell off (third-person singular simple present tells off, present participle telling off, simple past and past participle told off)
- (transitive) To rebuke, to reprimand, or to admonish, often in a harsh, angry, direct way.
- Joel's boss told him off for being late again.
- (transitive) To count (members of a sequence), to enumerate.
1903, Field and Stream, page 755:The Recruit looked thoughtful and told off the days on his fingers.
- (transitive, dated) To allocate duties to someone.
1887, Harriet W. Daly, Digging, Squatting, and Pioneering Life in the Northern Territory of South Australia, page 63:The provisions were packed over night and sent down by boat, in charge of the steward of the Gtdnare or some person specially told off for the purpose.
1908, Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows, London: Methuen, page 17:When they were quite ready, the now triumphant Toad led his companions to the paddock and set them to capture the old grey horse, who, without having been consulted, and to his own extreme annoyance, had been told off by Toad for the dustiest job in this dusty expedition. He frankly preferred the paddock, and took a deal of catching.
- (transitive, military) To divide and practise a regiment or company in the several formations, preparatory to marching to the general parade for field exercises.
1885, Edward Farrow, A Dictionary of Military Terms:To equalize a battalion is to tell off a certain number of companies, usually eight, in such a manner that the several component parts shall consist of the same number of men.
Synonyms
Translations
to rebuke
- Arabic: وَبَّخَ (wabbaḵa)
- Bulgarian: гълча (bg) impf (gǎlča), сгълчвам impf (sgǎlčvam), сгълча pf (sgǎlča)
- Chinese:
- Cantonese: 話/话 (waa6)
- Cornish: keredhi
- Czech: vynadat pf
- Dutch: berispen (nl)
- Esperanto: sapumi la okulojn, admoni
- Finnish: haukkua (fi), läksyttää (fi)
- French: passer un savon (fr)
- Galician: rifar (gl)
- German: ausschimpfen (de), schelten (de), rüffeln (de), tadeln (de), zurechtweisen (de), rügen (de), maßregeln (de), Vorwürfe machen, Ärger machen, Ärger bekommen, ermahnen (de), Vorhaltungen machen, einen Verweis erteilen, verwarnen (de), abkanzeln (de), mahnen (de), abmahnen (de), warnen (de)
- Italian: dare una lavata di capo, sgridare, ammonire (it)
- Ladin: bruntlé
- Portuguese: dar uma bronca
- Russian: распекать (ru) impf (raspekatʹ), отчитывать (ru) impf (otčityvatʹ)
- Slovak: vynadať pf
- Spanish: reprender (es), regañar (es), amonestar (es), cantar las cuarenta, leer la cartilla (es), poner a caldo (es), poner a parir, poner verde, poner de vuelta y media, poner como chupa de dómine
- Swedish: skälla ut (sv)
- Turkish: azarlamak (tr), paylamak (tr)
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to count members of a sequence, enumerate
References
- Oxford English Dictionary