01 n. A short narrative or tale, esp. one dealing with surprising or marvelous events.
pl.
Contes ((#))
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1.
A short narrative or tale, esp. one dealing with surprising or marvelous events.“The conte (sic) is a tale something more than a sketch, it may be, and something less than a short story. . . . The “Canterbury Tales” are contes, most of them, if not all, and so are some of the “Tales of a Wayside Inn.”” — Brander Matthews.