Canterbury tale

noun

variants or Canterbury story
1
: a cock-and-bull story : yarn, fable
a Canterbury tale of a leg and an eye and heaven knows whatGeorge Colman †1794
2
: a long tedious tale
it grows into a long Canterbury tale of two hoursRichard Steele

Word History

Etymology

from The Canterbury Tales, literary work by Geoffrey Chaucer †1400 English poet, consisting mostly of narrative poems which he puts into the mouths of persons on a pilgrimage to Canterbury

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Dictionary Entries Near Canterbury tale

Cite this Entry

“Canterbury tale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Canterbury%20tale. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

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