He telleth the number of the stars. Ps. cxlvii. 4.

Tell the joints of the body. Jer. Taylor.

Of which I shall tell all the array. Chaucer.

And not a man appears to tell their fate. Pope.

Why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife? Gen. xii. 18.

A secret pilgrimage,
That you to-day promised to tell me of? Shak.

He told her not to be frightened. Dickens.

I ne told no dainity of her love. Chaucer.

* Tell, though equivalent in some respect to speak and say, has not always the same application. We say, to tell truth or falsehood, to tell a number, to tell the reasons, to tell something or nothing; but we never say, to tell a speech, discourse, or oration, or to tell an argument or a lesson. It is much used in commands; as, tell me the whole story; tell me all you know.

To tell off, to count; to divide. Sir W. Scott.

Syn. -- To communicate; impart; reveal; disclose; inform; acquaint; report; repeat; rehearse; recite.

That I may publish with the voice of thankgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works. Ps. xxvi. 7.

To tell of. (a) To speak of; to mention; to narrate or describe. (b) To inform against; to disclose some fault of. -- To tell on, to inform against. [Archaic *** Colloq.]

Lest they should tell on us, saying, So did David. 1 Sam. xxvii. 11.

I am at the end of my tell. Walpole.