The Canterbury Tales
/ðə ˌkæntəbəri ˈteɪlz/
/ðə ˌkæntərbəri ˈteɪlz/, /ðə ˌkæntərberi ˈteɪlz/
- a long poem by Geoffrey Chaucer, begun in 1387. It consists of the stories told by a varied group of pilgrims, people travelling from London to Canterbury to show respect for St Thomas Becket. It is one of the first great poems in English, and some of the stories are well known for referring to sex in humorous ways.
Definitions on the go
Look up any word in the dictionary offline, anytime, anywhere with the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.
Check pronunciation:
The Canterbury Tales