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tall

Pronunciation: /tɔːl/

The English word “tall” has 11 meanings listed here.

adjective

  1. Having great vertical extent (usually reckoned from the bottom of the feet to the very top of the head) when standing. (For instance, somebody with a height of over 6 feet would generally be deemed tall.)
  2. Having its top a long way up; having a great vertical (and often greater than horizontal) extent.
  3. Smaller than grande, usually 8 ounces (~ 230 ml).
  4. Hard to believe, such as a tall story or a tall tale.
  5. Obsequious; obedient.
  6. Seemly; suitable; fitting, becoming, comely; attractive, handsome.
  7. Bold; brave; courageous; valiant.
  8. Fine; proper; admirable; great; excellent.

noun

  1. Someone or something that is tall.
  2. A clothing size for taller people.
  3. A tall serving of a drink, especially one from Starbucks, which contains 12 ounces.

Etymology

From Middle English tall, talle, tal (“seemly, becoming, handsome, good-looking, excellent, good, valiant, lively in speech, bold, great, large, big”), from Old English *tæl, ġetæl (“swift, ready, having mastery of”), from Proto-Germanic *talaz (“submissive, pliable, obedient”), from Proto-Indo-European *dol-, *del- (“to aim, calculate, adjust, reckon”). Cognate with Scots tal (“high, lofty,…

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Definitions are from Wiktionary, extracted by Kaikki.org, and are available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.