tally

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

tally, n. [OE. taile, taille, F. taille a cutting, cut tally, fr. tailler to cut, but influenced probably by taillé, p. p. of tailler. See Tailor, and cf. Tail a limitation, Taille, Tallage.].

•  Originally, a piece of wood on which notches or scores were cut, as the marks of number; later, one of two books, sheets of paper, etc., on which corresponding accounts were kept.  [1913 Webster]

  " In purshasing and selling, it was once customary for traders to have two sticks, or one stick cleft into two parts, and to mark with a score or notch, on each, the number or quantity of goods delivered, -- the seller keeping one stick, and the purchaser the other. Before the use of writing, this, or something like it, was the only method of keeping accounts; and tallies were received as evidence in courts of justice. In the English exchequer were tallies of loans, one part being kept in the exchequer, the other being given to the creditor in lieu of an obligation for money lent to government."  [1913 Webster]
•  Hence, any account or score kept by notches or marks, whether on wood or paper, or in a book; especially, one kept in duplicate.  [1913 Webster]
•  One thing made to suit another; a match; a mate.  [1913 Webster]

  "They were framed the tallies for each other."  [1913 Webster]
•  A notch, mark, or score made on or in a tally; as, to make or earn a tally in a game.  [1913 Webster]
•  A tally shop. See Tally shop, below.  [1913 Webster]

Tally shop, a shop at which goods or articles are sold to customers on account, the account being kept in corresponding books, one called the tally, kept by the buyer, the other the counter tally, kept by the seller, and the payments being made weekly or otherwise by agreement. The trade thus regulated is called tally trade. Eng. Encyc. -- To strike tallies, to act in correspondence, or alike. [Obs.] Fuller.

tally, v. t. [Cf. F. tialler to cut. See Tally, n.].

•  To score with correspondent notches; hence, to make to correspond; to cause to fit or suit.  [1913 Webster]

  "They are not so well tallied to the present juncture."  [1913 Webster]
•  To check off, as parcels of freight going inboard or outboard.  W. C. Russell.  [1913 Webster]

Tally on (Naut.), to dovetail together.

tally, v. i. 

•  To be fitted; to suit; to correspond; to match.  [1913 Webster]

  "I found pieces of tiles that exactly tallied with the channel."  [1913 Webster]

  "Your idea . . . tallies exactly with mine."  [1913 Webster]
•  To make a tally; to score; as, to tally in a game.  [1913 Webster]

Tally on (Naut.), to man a rope for hauling, the men standing in a line or tail.

tally, adv. [See Tall, a.].

 Stoutly; with spirit.  Beau. & Fl.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

tally, n. & v.
--n. (pl. -ies)
1 the reckoning of a debt or score.
2 a total score or amount.
3 a a mark registering a fixed number of objects delivered or received. b such a number as a unit.
4 hist. a a piece of wood scored across with notches for the items of an account and then split into halves, each party keeping one. b an account kept in this way.
5 a ticket or label for identification.
6 a corresponding thing, counterpart, or duplicate.
--v. (-ies, -ied) (often foll. by with)
1 intr. agree or correspond.
2 tr. record or reckon by tally.

Idiom

tally clerk an official who keeps a tally of goods, esp. those loaded or unloaded in docks. tally sheet a paper on which a tally is kept. tally system a system of sale on short credit or instalments with an account kept by tally.

Derivative

tallier n.

Etymology

ME f. AF tallie, AL tallia, talia f. L talea: cf. TAIL(2)

THESAURUS

tally

a reckoning of, accommodate, accommodate with, accord, accordance, account, account current, account of, account rendered, account stated, accounting, acta, active list, adapt, adapt to, add, add up, addition, adjust, adjust to, affinity, aggregate, agree, agree with, agreement, algebraize, ally, alter ego, amount, analogon, analogue, annual, answer to, assent, assimilate to, associate, assort with, balance, be consistent, be guided by, be of one, be uniform with, bend, billhead, blacklist, book, book stamp, bookplate, box score, brand, brief, broad arrow, brother, bulletin, cachet, calculate, calculation, calendar, call off, call over, call the roll, cash account, cast, catalog, census, census report, check, check of, checklist, chime, chime in with, chorus, cipher, civil list, close copy, close match, cognate, cohere, coherence, coincide, coincidence, colophon, companion, compare, compatibility, complement, comply, comply with, compose, computation, compute, concert, concord, concordance, concur, conform, conform with, conformance, conformation, conformity, congenator, congener, congeniality, congruence, congruency, congruity, consist with, consistency, consonance, consort, control account, cooperate, cooperation, coordinate, correct, correlate, correlative, correspond, correspondence, correspondent, count, count of, count out, count up, counterfoil, countermark, counterpart, difference, discipline, divide, docket, dope out, dovetail, duplicate, election returns, enroll, enter, enumerate, enumeration, equal, equivalence, equivalent, estimate, extract roots, fall in together, fall in with, fellow, figure, figure in, figure out, file, fit, fit in, fit together, foliate, follow, gear to, gee, go, go by, go together, go with, government mark, government stamp, hallmark, hang together, harmonize, harmony, hit, hold together, image, impanel, imprint, income account, index, interlock, intersect, intersection, inventory, itemization, itemize, items, jibe, keep score, kindred spirit, label, letterhead, like, likeness, list, listing, lock, logo, logotype, make conform, mark, marker, masthead, match, mate, measure, meet, minutes, mold, multiply, near duplicate, number, numerate, observe, obverse, oneness, overlap, page, paginate, parallel, parallelism, peace, pendant, picture, pigeonhole, plate, poll, post, price tag, proceedings, product, program, provision account, quantify, quantity, quantize, rapport, reciprocal, reckon, reckoning, reconcile, record, rectify, register, register with, registered trademark, registry, repertory, report, respond to, retired list, returns, revenue account, rub off corners, run over, running account, running head, running title, sales account, schedule, score, seal, second self, self-consistency, selling account, settle, shape, sick list, sigil, signet, similitude, simulacrum, sing in chorus, sister, sort with, soul mate, square, square with, stamp, stand together, statement, sticker, stock account, straighten, stub, subtract, such, suchlike, suit, sum, summation, suspense account, symmetry, sync, synchronism, tab, tabs of, tabulate, tabulation, tag, take account of, tale, tally of, tally sheet, tally up, tally with, tell, the bottom line, the like of, the likes of, the record, the story, the whole story, ticket, timing, title page, token, tot, tot up, total, total up, tote, tote up, track of, trade name, trademark, trademark name, transactions, twin, uniformity, union, unison, unisonance, valuation account, whole, work out, x number, yearbook, yield

ROGET THESAURUS

tally

Agreement

VB be accordant, agree, accord, harmonize, correspond, tally, respond, meet, suit, fit, befit, do, adapt itself to, fall in with, chime in with, square with, quadrate with, consort with, comport with, dovetail, assimilate, fit like a glove, fit to a tittle, fit to a T, match, become one, homologate, consent, render accordant, fit, suit, adapt, accommodate, graduate, adjust, dress, regulate, readjust, accord, harmonize, reconcile, fadge, dovetail, square.

Numeration

VB number, count, tally, tell, call over, run over, take an account of, enumerate, muster, poll, recite, recapitulate, sum, sum up, cast up, tell off, score, cipher, compute, calculate, suppute, add, subtract, multiply, divide, extract roots, algebraize, check, prove, demonstrate, balance, audit, overhaul, take stock, affix numbers to, page, amount to, add up to, come to.

List

N list, catalog, catalogue, inventory, register, account, bill, bill of costs, terrier, tally, listing, itemization, atlas, book, ledger, catalogue raisonne, tableau, invoice, bill of lading, prospectus, bill of fare, menu, carte, score, census, statistics, returns, contents, table of contents, outline, synopsis, checklist, table, chart, database, index, inverted file, word list, concordance, dictionary, lexicon, vocabulary, glossary, thesaurus, file, card index, card file, rolodex, address book, Red book, Blue book, Domesday book, cadastre, directory, gazetter, almanac, army list, clergy list, civil service list, navy list, Almanach de Gotha, cadaster, Lloyd's register, nautical almanac, who's who, Guiness's Book of World Records, roll, check roll, checker roll, bead roll, muster roll, muster book, roster, panel, jury list, cartulary, diptych, cadastral.

VB list, itemize, sort, collate, enumerate, tabulate, catalog, tally.

Credit

N credit, trust, tick, score, tally, account, letter of credit, circular note, duplicate, mortgage, lien, debenture, paper credit, floating capital, draft, lettre de creance, securities, creditor, lender, lessor, mortgagee, dun, usurer, credit account, line of credit, open line of credit, credit card, crediting, credited, accredited, on credit, on account, to the account of, to the credit of, a compte.

Indication

N indication, symbolism, symbolization, semiology, semiotics, semeiology, semeiotics, Zeitgeist, characteristic, diagnostic, lineament, feature, trait, fingerprint, voiceprint, footprint, noseprint, cloven hoof, footfall, recognition (memory), diagnostic, divining rod, detector, sign, symbol, index, indice, indicator, point, pointer, exponent, note, token, symptom, dollar sign, dollar mark, type, figure, emblem, cipher, device, representation, epigraph, motto, posy, gesture, gesticulation, pantomime, wink, glance, leer, nod, shrug, beck, touch, nudge, dactylology, dactylonomy, freemasonry, telegraphy, chirology, byplay, dumb show, cue, hint, clue, clew, key, scent, signal, signal post, rocket, blue light, watch fire, watch tower, telegraph, semaphore, flagstaff, cresset, fiery cross, calumet, heliograph, guidon, headlight, mark, scratch, line, stroke, dash, score, stripe, streak, tick, dot, point, notch, nick, print, imprint, impress, impression, keyboard symbols, printing symbols, red letter, italics, sublineation, underlining, bold font, jotting, note, annotation, reference, blaze, cedilla, guillemets, hachure, quotation marks, ", double quotes, " ", parentheses, "( )", brackets, "", braces, "", left arrow, "<", right arrow, ">", forward slash, "/", backward slash, "\", exclamation point, "!", commercial at, "@", pound sign, "#", percent sign, "%", carat, "", ampersand, "&", asterisk, "*", hyphen, "-", dash, "-", "_", em dash, "--", plus sign, "+", equals sign, "=", question mark, "?", period, ", ", semicolon, ", ", colon, ":", comma, ", ", apostrophe, "'", single quote, "'", tilde, "~", badge, criterion, countercheck, countermark, countersign, counterfoil, duplicate, tally, label, ticket, billet, letter, counter, check, chip, chop, dib, totem, tessera, card, bill, witness, voucher, stamp, cacher, trade mark, Hall mark, signature, mark, autograph, autography, attestation, hand, hand writing, sign manual, cipher, seal, sigil, signet, hand and seal, paraph, brand, superscription, indorsement, endorsement, password, watchword, catchword, security card, pass, passkey, credentials, open sesame, timbrology, mot de passe, mot du guet, pass-parole, shibboleth, title, heading, docket, address card, visiting card, carte de visite, insignia, banner, banneret, bannerol, bandrol, flag, colors, streamer, standard, eagle, labarum, oriflamb, oriflamme, figurehead, ensign, pennon, pennant, pendant, burgee, blue Peter, jack, ancient, gonfalon, union jack, banderole, old glory, quarantine flag, vexillum, yellow-flag, yellow jack, tricolor, stars and stripes, bunting, heraldry, crest, coat of arms, arms, armorial bearings, hatchment, escutcheon, scutcheon, shield, supporters, livery, uniform, cockade, epaulet, chevron, garland, love knot, favor, beacon, cairn, post, staff, flagstaff, hand, pointer, vane, cock, weathercock, guidepost, handpost, fingerpost, directing post, signpost, pillars of Hercules, pharos, bale-fire, beacon-fire, l'etoile du Nord, landmark, seamark, lighthouse, balize, polestar, loadstar, lodestar, cynosure, guide, address, direction, name, sign, signboard, warning, omen, prefigurement, trace, record, warning &c, alarm, scepter, trophy, gauge, milestone, milepost, brand, fool's cap, check, telltale, test, mileage ticket, milliary, notification, advertisement, word of command, call, bugle call, trumpet call, bell, alarum, cry, battle cry, rallying cry, angelus, reveille, sacring bell, sanctus bell, exposition &c (explanation), proof, pattern, indicating, indicative, indicatory, denotative, connotative, diacritical, representative, typical, symbolic, pantomimic, pathognomonic, symptomatic, characteristic, demonstrative, diagnostic, exponential, emblematic, armorial, individual, known by, recognizable by, indicated, pointed, marked, denotable, indelible, in token of, symbolically, in dumb show, ecce signum, ex ungue leonem, ex pede Herculem, vide ut supra, vultus ariete fortior.