Wiktionary
vb. 1 To rebuke, to reprimand, or to admonish, often in a harsh, direct way. 2 To count (members of a sequence), to enumerate. 3 (context military English) To divide and practise a regiment or company in the several formations, preparatory to marching to the general parade for field exercises.
WordNet
v. reprimand; "She told the misbehaving student off" [syn: brush down]
Usage examples of "tell off".
No doubt Keighvin or Conal could identify this particular Unseleighe lord, and likely tell off at least part of his family tree, but it took one of the elven folk to do that.
He held up his hands and began to tell off the fingers of one with the forefinger of the other.
But if you really dislike the idea so much, I could tell off one of the Asha’.
She is strong-minded and courageous enough to tell off an almost perfect stranger when she thinks he's wrong.
They love to eat and drink, play mumblety-peg with dim-witted quadrupeds, and tell off-color dwarf jokes.
He wondered whom he should tell off for the clock-watching detail.