Definition of "tally" [tal•ly]

• A reckoning or score. (noun)
• A stick on which notches are made to keep a count or score. (noun)
• A stick on which notches were formerly made to keep a record of amounts paid or owed. (noun)
• A mark used in recording a number of acts or objects, most often in series of five, consisting of four vertical lines canceled diagonally or horizontally by a fifth line. (noun)
• A label, ticket, or piece of metal or wood used for identification or classification, especially in gardens and greenhouses. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The men who measured and kept the tally maintained a constant song or chant, and designated the _tally_, or fifth bushel, by a sort of yell."
• "I believe, right now, if you only count the books within the event (excluding the preludes) the tally is around 40 books … 38 or so."
• "Our seedling tally is actually fairly small so far this year, though there are a few plants going into the garden that will be purchased this week!"