1 N‑VAR The telling of a story or of something that has happened is the reporting of it to other people. □ [+ of ] Herbert sat quietly through the telling of this saga.
2 ADJ If something is telling , it shows the true nature of a person or situation. □ How a man shaves may be a telling clue to his age. ● tell|ing|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ The house received nearly 300 'customers' a year, as he tellingly called them.
3 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A telling argument or criticism is a very effective one. □ The most telling condemnation of the system was that it failed to fulfil its function.
4 PHRASE You use there's no telling to introduce a statement when you want to say that it is impossible to know what will happen in a situation. □ There's no telling how long the talks could drag on.
te lling-o ff (tellings-off ) also telling off N‑COUNT [usu sing] If you give someone a telling-off , you tell them that you are very angry with them about something they have done. [INFORMAL ] □ [+ for ] I got a severe telling off for not phoning him.
te ll-tale also telltale ADJ [ADJ n] Something that is described as telltale gives away information, often about something bad that would otherwise not be noticed. □ Only occasionally did the telltale redness around his eyes betray the fatigue he was suffering.
tel|ly /te li/ (tellies ) N‑VAR A telly is a television. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ After a hard day's work most people want to relax in front of the telly. in AM, use TV
te|maze|pam /t I mæ z I pæm/ N‑UNCOUNT Temazepam is a drug that is used to make people feel calmer or less anxious.
te|mer|ity /t I me r I ti/ N‑UNCOUNT [usu N to-inf] If you say that a person has the temerity to do something, you are annoyed about something they have done which you think showed a lack of respect. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ …'difficult' patients who have the temerity to challenge their doctors' decisions.
temp /te mp/ (temps , temping , temped )
1 N‑COUNT A temp is a person who is employed by an agency that sends them to work in different offices for short periods of time, for example to replace someone who is ill or on holiday.
2 VERB [only cont] If someone is temping , they are working as a temp. □ [V ] Mrs Reynolds has been temping since losing her job.
tem|per /te mpə r / (tempers , tempering , tempered )
1 N‑VAR If you refer to someone's temper or say that they have a temper , you mean that they become angry very easily. □ He had a temper and could be nasty. □ I hope he can control his temper.
2 N‑VAR [oft adj N , oft in N ] Your temper is the way you are feeling at a particular time. If you are in a good temper , you feel cheerful. If you are in a bad temper , you feel angry and impatient. □ I was in a bad temper last night.
3 VERB To temper something means to make it less extreme. [FORMAL ] □ [V n + with ] For others, especially the young and foolish, the state will temper justice with mercy. □ [V n] He had to learn to temper his enthusiasm.
4 PHRASE If someone is in a temper or gets into a temper , the way that they are behaving shows that they are feeling angry and impatient. □ She was still in a temper when Colin arrived. □ When I try to explain how I feel he just flies into a temper.
5 PHRASE If you lose your temper , you become so angry that you shout at someone or show in some other way that you are no longer in control of yourself. □ I've never seen him get cross or lose his temper.
tem|pera|ment /te mprəmənt/ (temperaments )
1 N‑VAR Your temperament is your basic nature, especially as it is shown in the way that you react to situations or to other people. □ His impulsive temperament regularly got him into difficulties. □ She was furtive and vicious by temperament.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Temperament is the tendency to behave in an uncontrolled, bad-tempered, or unreasonable way. □ Some of the models were given to fits of temperament.
tem|pera|men|tal /te mprəme nt ə l/
1 ADJ If you say that someone is temperamental , you are criticizing them for not being calm or quiet by nature, but having moods that change often and suddenly. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ He is very temperamental and critical.
2 ADJ If you describe something such as a machine or car as temperamental , you mean that it often does not work properly. □ I first started cruising in yachts with temperamental petrol engines.
tem|pera|men|tal|ly /te mprəme ntəli/ ADV [ADV after v] Temperamentally means because of someone's basic nature or related to someone's basic nature. □ He is a quitter who is temperamentally unsuited to remaining a champion.
tem|per|ance /te mpərəns/
1 N‑UNCOUNT If you believe in temperance , you disapprove of drinking alcohol. □ …a reformed alcoholic extolling the joys of temperance.
2 N‑UNCOUNT A person who shows temperance has a strong mind and does not eat too much, drink too much, or do too much of anything. [FORMAL ] □ The age of hedonism is being ushered out by a new era of temperance.
tem|per|ate /te mpər I t/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Temperate is used to describe a climate or a place which is never extremely hot or extremely cold. □ The Nile Valley keeps a temperate climate throughout the year.
2 ADJ If a person's behaviour is temperate , it is calm and reasonable, so that they do not get angry or lose their temper easily. [FORMAL ] □ His final report to the President was far more temperate and balanced than the earlier memorandum.