[f. TALE sb. + BEARER.] One who officiously carries reports of private matters to gratify malice or idle curiosity.
1478. Maldon, Essex, Court Rolls (Bundle 50, No. 8). Isabella Aylemer est a taleberer betuyx man and man.
1560. Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., 21 b. He admonisheth him to gyue no credit to talebearers.
1611. Bible, Prov. xi. 13. A tale-bearer reuealeth secrets: but hee that is of faithfull spirit, concealeth the matter. Ibid. xxvi. 20. Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no tale-bearer, the strife ceaseth.
1641. Hinde, Life J. Bruen, lii. 173. He would shut his eares against tale-bearers, being the very seed-men of strife.
1774. Mrs. Delany, in Life & Corr., Ser. II. (1862), II. 75. We have heard nothing by the newspapers, but they are false talebearers.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., xii. III. 207. These words were spoken in private; but some talebearer repeated them to the Commons.
1873. Ouida, Pascarèl, III. VII. i. 238. Now and then a lover comes out from some vaulted doorway, looking warily to see if any talebearer be lurking near.
1921. J. G. Frazer, trans. Apollodorus’ Library, 41, note. As to the talebearer Ascalaphus … Persephone or Demeter punished him by turning him into a screech-owl.
