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Webster 1913 Edition

Tall

Tall

,
Adj.
[
Com
par.
Taller
;
sup
erl.
Tallest
.]
[OE.
tal
seemly, elegant, docile (?); of uncertain origin; cf. AS. un-
tala
, un-
tale
, bad, Goth. un
tals
indocile, disobedient, uninstructed, or W. & Corn.
tal
high, Ir.
talla
meet, fit, proper, just.]
1.
High in stature; having a considerable, or an unusual, extension upward; long and comparatively slender; having the diameter or lateral extent small in proportion to the height;
as, a
tall
person, tree, or mast
.
Two of far nobler shape, erect and
tall
.
Milton.
2.
Brave; bold; courageous.
[Obs.]
As
tall
a trencherman
As e’er demolished a pye fortification.
Massinger.
His companions, being almost in despair of victory, were suddenly recomforted by Sir William Stanley, which came to succors with three thousand
tall
men.
Grafton.
3.
Fine; splendid; excellent; also, extravagant; excessive.
[Obs. or Slang]
B. Jonson.
Syn. – High; lofty.
–
Tall
,
High
,
Lofty
. High is the generic term, and is applied to anything which is elevated or raised above another thing. Tall specifically describes that which has a small diameter in proportion to its height; hence, we speak of a tall man, a tall steeple, a tall mast, etc., but not of a tall hill. Lofty has a special reference to the expanse above us, and denotes an imposing height;
as, a
lofty
mountain; a
lofty
room
. Tall is now properly applied only to physical objects; high and lofty have a moral acceptation;
as,
high
thought, purpose, etc.
; lofty aspirations; a lofty genius. Lofty is the stronger word, and is usually coupled with the grand or admirable.

Webster 1828 Edition

Tall

TALL

,
Adj.
[Eng. dally; L. tollo.]
1.
High in stature; long and comparatively slender; applied to a person, or to a standing tree, mast or pole. Tall always refers to something erect, and of which the diameter is small in proportion to the highth. We say, a tall man or woman, a tall boy for his age; a tall tree, a tall pole, a tall mast; but we never say, a tall house or a tall mountain. The application of the word to a palace or its shadow, in Waller, is now improper.
Dark shadows cast, and as his palace tall.
2.
Sturdy; lusty; bold. [Unusual.]

Definition 2024

Tall

Tall

See also: tal, tall, and Tal

German Low German

Noun

Tall f (plural Tallen)

  1. Alternative form of Tahl

tall

tall

See also: tal, Tal, and Tall

English

Adjective

tall ‎(comparative taller, superlative tallest)

  1. (of a person) Having a vertical extent greater than the average. For example, somebody with a height of over 6 feet would generally be considered to be tall.
    Being tall is an advantage in basketball.‎
    • 1898, Winston Churchill, chapter 5, in The Celebrity:
      Then came a maid with hand-bag and shawls, and after her a tall young lady. She stood for a moment holding her skirt above the grimy steps, […] , and the light of the reflector fell full upon her.
  2. (of a building, etc.) Having its top a long way up; having a great vertical (and often greater than horizontal) extent; high.
  3. (of a story) Hard to believe, such as a tall story or a tall tale.
  4. (chiefly US, of a cup of coffee) A cup of coffee smaller than grande, usually 8 ounces.
  5. (obsolete) Obsequious; obedient.
  6. (obsolete) Seemly; suitable; fitting, becoming, comely; attractive, handsome.
  7. (obsolete) Bold; brave; courageous; valiant.
  8. (archaic) Fine; proper; admirable; great; excellent.

Antonyms

Derived terms

Translations

of a story

Albanian

Etymology

From Proto-Albanian *talna, related to Lithuanian tylù ‎(“to become silent”), Old Irish tuilid ‎(“to sleep”), Proto-Slavic *toliti ‎(“to persuade, to make quiet”)[1].

Verb

tall ‎(first-person singular past tense talla, participle tallur)

  1. to laugh at
  2. to mock

References

  1. ↑ A Concise Historical Grammar of the Albanian Language, V.Orel, Koninklijke Brill ,Leiden 2000, p.448

Breton

Adjective

tall

  1. Hard mutation of dall.

Catalan

Etymology

From Latin talea.

Pronunciation

  • (Balearic) IPA(key): /ˈtaʎ/
  • (Central) IPA(key): /ˈtaʎ/
  • (Valencian) IPA(key): /ˈtaʎ/
  • Rhymes: -aʎ

Noun

tall m ‎(plural talls)

  1. cut

Estonian

Noun

tall ‎(genitive talle, partitive talle)

  1. lamb

Declension

This noun needs an inflection-table template.

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Old Norse tal.

Noun

tall n ‎(definite singular tallet, indefinite plural tall, definite plural talla or tallene)

  1. number, numeral, figure

Derived terms

See also

  • tal (Nynorsk)

References

Old Irish

Adverb

tall

  1. there
    Is bec ndi dechur fil etarru siu ⁊ tall. – "There is little difference between them here and there."
  2. then
    amal du·ratsat sacaird tall bendachta forsin popul – "as the priests had blessed the people then"

Descendants

Determiner

tall

  1. that (used after the noun, which is preceded by the definite article)
    a tadall tall – "that visit"

Synonyms

Swedish

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /tal/

Noun

tall c

  1. pine, Scots pine tree, Pinus sylvestris

Declension

Inflection of tall 
Singular Plural
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative tall tallen tallar tallarna
Genitive talls tallens tallars tallarnas

Related terms

Synonyms

See also

  • barrväxter
  • furu
  • furutimmer
  • furuträ
  • falla som en fura

Etymology

From Middle English tall, talle, tal ‎(“seemly, becoming, excellent, good, valiant, bold, great”), from Old English *tæl, ġetæl ‎(“swift, ready, having mastery of”), from Proto-Germanic *talaz ‎(“submissive, pliable”), from Proto-Indo-European *dol-, *del- ‎(“to aim, calculate, adjust, reckon”). Cognate with Scots tal ‎(“high, lofty, tall”), Old Frisian tel ‎(“swift”), Old Saxon gital ‎(“quick”), Old High German gizal ‎(“active, agile”), Gothic 𐌿𐌽𐍄𐌰𐌻𐍃 ‎(untals, “indocile, disobedient”).

Pronunciation

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