teller

Teller is a term with several related but distinct uses in English. In banking, a teller is a frontline employee who handles routine financial transactions for customers, such as deposits, withdrawals, cashing checks, and providing basic account information. Tellers perform cash handling, verify identities, balance drawers, and follow security and compliance procedures, including anti-money laundering rules. They often work with customers to resolve simple account questions and may operate in person at a teller window or via digital banking terminals.

In literature and oral tradition, a teller is a person who relates or narrates a story. This can refer to a narrator within a work, a storyteller who preserves cultural tales through oral performance, or a professional who crafts and conveys narratives for entertainment, education, or journalism. The term emphasizes the act of conveying information or events through speech or writing.

Teller is also a surname and, in popular culture, a stage name. Notable uses include the American illusionist known simply as Teller, one half of the magic duo Penn & Teller, recognized for his silent stage presence. The surname has broader use across cultures and may have occupational or descriptive origins related to the verb tell or to other languages with similar roots.