Tally
ˈtæli
Definitions
2 meaningsA count or record of something, often used to keep track of scores, numbers, or amounts.
ˈtæli
A record of scores or amounts.
The team kept a tally of all the fouls during the game.
💡 Simply: A tally is like keeping score, or a running count. Imagine you're counting your toys – each toy is a tally!
👶 For kids: A tally is like a list of numbers to show how much you have of something!
More Examples
The accountant provided a detailed tally of all the expenses.
The final tally of the votes revealed a close election.
How It's Used
"The final tally of the game showed the home team had won by 10 points."
"The sales tally for the quarter was impressive."
To count, record, or calculate the total of something.
ˈtæli
To count or record scores.
The election officials are still tallying the ballots.
💡 Simply: To tally is to add things up, like counting how many friends are coming to your party.
👶 For kids: To tally is to count things and write them down!
More Examples
She began to tally up the cost of the groceries.
They needed to tally the scores before announcing the winner.
How It's Used
"He had to tally the votes after the election."
"The clerks tallied the sales for each day."
From Old French taille, meaning 'a notch' or 'a piece of wood marked with notches used for counting'. Originally referred to a notched stick used to keep track of debts or records.
Historically, tallies were often physical objects, such as notched sticks, used for accounting. These were especially common for tracking debts or payments before written records were widespread.
Memory tip
Think of a baseball scoreboard, each score is a tally.
Word Origin
"a notch, cut, or piece of wood used for keeping count"