Talebearer
noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 An indiscreet person who spreads gossip or blame.
""To speak the truth when my lady commands me," answered the prudential major-domo, "is in some measure my duty, Mistress Lilias; always providing for and excepting those cases in which it cannot be spoken without breeding mischief and inconvenience to myself or my fellow-servants; for the tongue of a tale-bearer breaketh bones as well as Jeddart-staff.""
- 2 someone who gossips indiscreetly wordnet
Example
More examples""To speak the truth when my lady commands me," answered the prudential major-domo, "is in some measure my duty, Mistress Lilias; always providing for and excepting those cases in which it cannot be spoken without breeding mischief and inconvenience to myself or my fellow-servants; for the tongue of a tale-bearer breaketh bones as well as Jeddart-staff.""
Etymology
From Middle English taleberer; equivalent to tale + bearer.
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.