[syn: improbable, marvelous, marvellous, tall(a)]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Tall \Tall\, a. [Compar. Taller; superl. Tallest.] [OE. tal
seemly, elegant, docile (?); of uncertain origin; cf. AS.
un-tala, un-tale, bad, Goth. untals 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.
[1913 Webster]
Two of far nobler shape, erect and tall. --Milton.
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2. Brave; bold; courageous. [Obs.]
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As tall a trencherman
As e'er demolished a pye fortification. --Massinger.
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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.
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3. Fine; splendid; excellent; also, extravagant; excessive.
[Obs. or Slang] --B. Jonson.
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Syn: High; lofty.
Usage: 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.
[1913 Webster] Tallage
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
tall
adj 1: great in vertical dimension; high in stature; "tall
people"; "tall buildings"; "tall trees"; "tall ships"
[ant: little, short]
2: lofty in style; "he engages in so much tall talk, one never
really realizes what he is saying" [syn: grandiloquent,
magniloquent, tall]
3: impressively difficult; "a tall order"
4: too improbable to admit of belief; "a tall story" [syn:
improbable, marvelous, marvellous, tall(a)]
n 1: a garment size for a tall person
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (19 January 2023):
TALL
TAC List Language.
["TALL - A List Processor for the Philco 2000", J. Feldman,
CACM 5(9):484-485 (Sep 1962)].
(1995-03-01)