tail
Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Legal, Financial, Acronyms, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
tail
the prolongation of an animal’s rear end: The dog wagged his tail.; the rear part of an aircraft; the side of a coin that does not bear a head or date; someone employed to follow and report the movements of another: put a tail on the suspect
Not to be confused with:
tale – story; an actual or fictitious narrative of an event: He told an exciting tale.
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree
tail 1
(tāl)n.
1. The posterior part of an animal, especially when elongated and extending beyond the trunk or main part of the body.
2. The bottom, rear, or hindmost part, especially:
a. The lowest part of a garment such as a shirt or coat.
b. The rear end of an automobile or other vehicle.
c. The rear portion of the fuselage of an aircraft or the assembly of stabilizing planes and control surfaces in this portion.
d. The vaned rear portion of a bomb or missile.
3. A long thin arrangement, part, or structure, often extending from a main structure:
a. A long thin part on some kites that hangs down below the part that catches the wind to provide stability.
b. The long stream of gas and dust that is illuminated and directed away from the head of a comet when it is close to the sun.
c. A braid of hair; a pigtail.
d. A train of followers; a retinue.
4. Something that follows something else or takes the last place:
a. The end of a line of persons or things.
b. The short closing line of certain stanzas of verse.
c. The refuse or dross remaining from processes such as distilling or milling.
5. tails
a. A formal evening costume typically worn by men.
b. A tailcoat.
6. often tails(used with a sing. verb) The side of a coin not having the principal design.
7. The trail of a person or animal in flight: The police were on the bank robber's tail.
8. A person assigned or employed to follow and report on someone else's movements and actions: The police put a tail on the suspected drug dealer.
9.
a. Slang The buttocks.
b. Vulgar Slang Sexual intercourse.
c. Offensive Slang Women considered as sexual partners.
adj.
1. Of or relating to a tail or tails: tail feathers.
2. Situated in the tail, as of an airplane: a tail gunner.
v. tailed, tail·ing, tails
v.tr.
1. To provide with a tail: tail a kite.
2. To deprive of a tail; dock.
3. To serve as the tail or last part of: The Santa Claus float tailed the parade.
4. To connect (often dissimilar or incongruous objects) by the tail or end: tail two ideas together.
5. To set one end of (a beam, board, or brick) into a wall.
6. Informal To follow and keep (a person) under surveillance.
v.intr.
Phrasal Verbs: 1. To become lengthened or spaced when moving in a line: The patrol tailed out in pairs.
2. To be inserted at one end into a wall, as a floor timber or beam.
3. Informal To follow: tailed after the leader.
4. Nautical
a. To go aground with the stern foremost.
b. To lie or swing with the stern in a named direction, as when riding at anchor or on a mooring.
5. Sports To veer from a straight course in the direction of the dominant hand of the player propelling the ball: a pitch that tails away from the batter.
tail down
To ease a heavy load down a steep slope.
tail off (or away)
Idiom: To diminish gradually; dwindle or subside: The fireworks tailed off into darkness.
with (one's) tail between (one's) legs
In a state of humiliation or dejection.
[Middle English, from Old English tægel.]
tail′less adj.
tail 2
(tāl) Lawn.
Limitation of the inheritance of an estate to a particular person and that person's heirs.
adj.
Being in tail: a tail estate.
[Middle English taille, from Old French, division, from taillier, to cut; see tailor.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
tail
(teɪl)n
1. (Zoology) the region of the vertebrate body that is posterior to or above the anus and contains an elongation of the vertebral column, esp forming a flexible movable appendage.
2. anything resembling such an appendage in form or position; the bottom, lowest, or rear part: the tail of a shirt.
3. the last part or parts: the tail of the storm.
4. (Aeronautics) the rear part of an aircraft including the fin, tailplane, and control surfaces; empennage
5. (Astronomy) astronomy the luminous stream of gas and dust particles, up to 200 million kilometres long, driven from the head of a comet, when close to the sun, under the effect of the solar wind and light pressure
6. (Astronautics) the rear portion of a bomb, rocket, missile, etc, usually fitted with guiding or stabilizing vanes
7. a line of people or things
8. (Hairdressing & Grooming) a long braid or tress of hair: a ponytail; a pigtail.
9. (Angling) angling Also called: tailfly the lowest fly on a wet-fly cast
10. (Poetry) a final short line in a stanza
11. informal a person employed to follow and spy upon another or others
12. (Anatomy) an informal word for buttocks. See buttock
13. (Anatomy) taboo slang
a. the female genitals
b. a woman considered sexually (esp in the phrases piece of tail, bit of tail)
14. (Printing, Lithography & Bookbinding) printing
a. the margin at the foot of a page
b. the bottom edge of a book
15. (Angling) the lower end of a pool or part of a stream
16. informal the course or track of a fleeing person or animal: the police are on my tail.
17. (modifier) coming from or situated in the rear: a tail wind.
18. turn tail to run away; escape
19. with one's tail between one's legs in a state of utter defeat or confusion
vb
20. to form or cause to form the tail
21. (Animals) to remove the tail of (an animal); dock
22. (Cookery) (tr) to remove the stalk of: to top and tail the gooseberries.
23. (tr) to connect (objects, ideas, etc) together by or as if by the tail
24. (tr) informal to follow stealthily
25. (Agriculture) (tr) Austral to tend (cattle) on foot
26. (Nautical Terms) (intr) (of a vessel) to assume a specified position, as when at a mooring
27. (Building) to build the end of (a brick, joist, etc) into a wall or (of a brick, etc) to have one end built into a wall
[Old English tægel; related to Old Norse tagl horse's tail, Gothic tagl hair, Old High German zagal tail]
ˈtailless adj
ˈtaillessly adv
ˈtaillessness n
ˈtail-ˌlike adj
tail
(teɪl) property lawn
(Law) the limitation of an estate or interest to a person and the heirs of his body. See also entail
adj
(Law) (immediately postpositive) (of an estate or interest) limited in this way
[C15: from Old French taille a division; see tailor, tally]
ˈtailless adj
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
tail1
(teɪl)n.
1. the hindmost part of an animal, esp. that forming a distinct, flexible appendage to the trunk.
2. something resembling or suggesting this in shape or position: the tail of a kite.
3. the luminous stream extending from the head of a comet.
5. the rear portion of an airplane or the like.
6. tails,
a. tail coat.
b. the tapering skirts or ends at the back of a coat, esp. a tail coat.
c. men's full-dress attire.
7. Slang. the buttocks or rump.
8. a person who trails or keeps a close surveillance of another, as a detective or spy.
9. the trail of a fleeing person or animal.
10. Vulgar Slang.
a. sexual intercourse.
b. Usually Offensive. a person, esp. a woman, considered as a sexual object.
11. the hinder, bottom, or end part of something.
12. a final or concluding part; end.
13. the inferior or unwanted part of something.
14. a long braid or tress of hair.
15. a retinue; train.
16. the lower part of a pool or stream.
17. the exposed portion of a piece of roofing, as a slate.
18. the bottom part of a page or book.
19. the lower portion of a printer's type, as of g, y, or Q.
adj. 20. coming from behind: a tail breeze.
21. being in the back or rear: a tail gun on an aircraft.
v.t. 22. to follow in order to hinder escape or to observe.
23. to form or furnish with a tail.
24. to form or constitute the tail or end of.
25. to join or attach (one thing) at the tail or end of another.
26. to fasten (a beam, stone, etc.) by one end (usu. fol. by in).
27. to dock the tail of (a horse, dog, etc.).
v.i. 28. to follow close behind; tag.
29. to disappear gradually or merge into.
30. to form or move in a line suggestive of a tail.
31. (of a boat) to have or take a position with the stern in a particular direction.
32. (of a beam, stone, etc.) to be fastened by one end (usu. fol. by in).
Idioms: 1. turn tail, to run away from difficulty, opposition, etc.; flee.
2. with one's tail between one's legs, utterly defeated or humiliated.
[before 900; Old English tægl, c. Middle Low German tagel rope-end, Old High German zagel tail, Old Norse tagl horse's tail, Gothic tagl hair]
tail′less, adj.
tail′less•ness, n.
usage: Definitions 10a and 10b are vulgar slang. Definition 10b is usually perceived as insulting.
tail2
(teɪl)n.
1. limitation of the passage of an estate; entail.
adj. 2. limited to a specified line of heirs; entailed.
[1200–50; (n.) Middle English taille < Old French, derivative of taillier to cut < Late Latin tāliāre (see tailor)]
tail′less, adj.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
tail
(tāl)1. The rear, elongated part of many animals, extending beyond the trunk or main part of the body.
2. The long, bright stream of gas and dust forced from the head of a comet when it is close to the sun.
Did You Know? The tails of cats and dogs are hard to miss. Sometimes they seem to be there only to be caught under chairs or get stepped on. But as a body feature, tails have many uses throughout the animal kingdom. Cheetahs use the tail for balance while running (as do cats and dogs), and the kangaroo balances with its tail while hopping. The Komodo dragon uses its heavy, powerful tail in combat with other dragons over food and mates. Birds in flight make quick course corrections by adjusting their tail positions. Wolves communicate to other wolves by how they position their tails. And as tadpoles change into frogs, they absorb their tails back into their bodies and make use of the nutrients stored in the tails. Monkeys sometimes hang from their tails, a talent apes gave up during evolution for reasons probably related to their more upright stance.
The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Tail
the inferior and of ten least influential members of a group, political party, etc., 1604; those who make up the end of a procession.Examples: tail of the army, 1604; of poor followers, flappers, and flatterers, 1838; of maids, 1633; of people, 1604; of ignorant persons, 1578; of precedence, 1895; of an honest profession, 1604.
Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
tail
Past participle: tailed
Gerund: tailing
| Imperative |
|---|
| tail |
| tail |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. |  tail - the posterior part of the body of a vertebrate especially when elongated and extending beyond the trunk or main part of the bodycraniate, vertebrate - animals having a bony or cartilaginous skeleton with a segmented spinal column and a large brain enclosed in a skull or cranium rattle - loosely connected horny sections at the end of a rattlesnake's tail brush - a bushy tail or part of a bushy tail (especially of the fox) caudal appendage - tail especially of a mammal posterior to and above the anus uropygium - posterior part of a bird's body from which the tail feathers grow oxtail - the skinned tail of cattle; used especially for soups fluke - either of the two lobes of the tail of a cetacean scut - a short erect tail flag - a conspicuously marked or shaped tail dock - the solid bony part of the tail of an animal as distinguished from the hair |
| 2. | tail - the time of the last part of something; "the fag end of this crisis-ridden century"; "the tail of the storm" | |
| 3. | tail - any projection that resembles the tail of an animal projection - any solid convex shape that juts out from something | |
| 4. |  tail - the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on; "he deserves a good kick in the butt"; "are you going to sit on your fanny and do nothing?"arse, ass, behind, buns, buttocks, hind end, hindquarters, keister, nates, posterior, prat, derriere, fanny, rear end, tooshie, tush, seat, fundament, backside, bottom, rump, stern, tail end, rear, bum, can, butt body part - any part of an organism such as an organ or extremity | |
| 5. | tail - a spy employed to follow someone and report their movements follower - someone who travels behind or pursues another spy - a secret watcher; someone who secretly watches other people; "my spies tell me that you had a good time last night" | |
| 6. | tail - (usually plural) the reverse side of a coin that does not bear the representation of a person's head plural, plural form - the form of a word that is used to denote more than one coin - a flat metal piece (usually a disc) used as money head - (usually plural) the obverse side of a coin that usually bears the representation of a person's head; "call heads or tails!" | |
| 7. | tail - the rear part of an aircraft fuselage - the central body of an airplane that is designed to accommodate the crew and passengers (or cargo) horizontal tail - the horizontal stabilizer and elevator in the tail assembly of an aircraft back, rear - the side that goes last or is not normally seen; "he wrote the date on the back of the photograph" stabilizer - airfoil consisting of a device for stabilizing an aircraft vertical tail - the vertical airfoil in the tail assembly of an aircraft | |
| 8. |  tail - the rear part of a ship escutcheon - (nautical) a plate on a ship's stern on which the name is inscribed back, rear - the side that goes last or is not normally seen; "he wrote the date on the back of the photograph" ship - a vessel that carries passengers or freight skeg - a brace that extends from the rear of the keel to support the rudderpost | |
| Verb | 1. |  tail - go after with the intent to catch; "The policeman chased the mugger down the alley"; "the dog chased the rabbit"tree - chase an animal up a tree; "the hunters treed the bear with dogs and killed it"; "her dog likes to tree squirrels" pursue, follow - follow in or as if in pursuit; "The police car pursued the suspected attacker"; "Her bad deed followed her and haunted her dreams all her life" quest - search the trail of (game); "The dog went off and quested" hound, hunt, trace - pursue or chase relentlessly; "The hunters traced the deer into the woods"; "the detectives hounded the suspect until they found him" run down - pursue until captured; "They ran down the fugitive" |
| 2. | tail - remove or shorten the tail of an animal cut - separate with or as if with an instrument; "Cut the rope" | |
| 3. | tail - remove the stalk of fruits or berries |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
tail
noun
1. extremity, appendage, brush, rear end, hindquarters, hind part, empennage The cattle were swinging their tails to disperse the flies.
3. shadow, detective, private eye (informal), sleuth (informal), private investigator The police had already put a tail on a couple of suspects.
4. close, end, conclusion, termination, tail end We still have the tail of the outbreak to deal with.
5. (Informal) buttocks, behind (informal), bottom, butt (U.S. & Canad. informal), bum (Brit. slang), ass (U.S. & Canad. taboo slang), rear (informal), buns (U.S. slang), arse (taboo slang), backside (informal), rump, rear end, posterior, derrière (euphemistic), jacksy (Brit. slang) He desperately needs a kick in the tail.
verb
on someone's tail close behind someone, hard on someone's heels, following someone closely, tailing someone He knew that the journalists were on his tail.
tail away or off decrease, fade, die out, fail, drop, dwindle, wane, fall away, peter out His voice tailed away in the bitter cold air.
turn tail run away, flee, run off, escape, take off (informal), retreat, make off, hook it (slang), run for it (informal), scarper (Brit. slang), cut and run, show a clean pair of heels, skedaddle (informal), take to your heels I turned tail and fled in the direction of the house.
Related words
adjective caudal
adjective caudal
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
tail
nounverb
phrasal verb
tail away or off
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
ocassledovatstopovatohon. ocas
haleskygge
vosto
häntäklaavapyrstövarjostaa
rep
farok
buntutekor
fylgja fast eftirhalistél; hali
尾
꼬리
cauda
atvirkštinė pusėbuferinis žibintaspats galasuodega-uodegis
asteizsekotsekot
coadă
rep
svansförföljareklave
หาง
kuyruktakibe almak
cái đuôi
tail
[teɪl]A. N
1. [of bird, horse, fish, plane] → cola f; [of dog, bull, ox] → cola f, rabo m; [of comet] → cabellera f, cola f; [of shirt] → faldón m; [of procession] → cola f, tramo m final; (= loose end) → cabo m; [of hair] → mechón m
to turn tail (and flee) → huir
he went off with his tail between his legs → se fue con el rabo entre las piernas
it's a case of the tail wagging the dog → es el mundo al revés
to turn tail (and flee) → huir
he went off with his tail between his legs → se fue con el rabo entre las piernas
it's a case of the tail wagging the dog → es el mundo al revés
C. CPD tail end N [of procession, queue] → cola f, tramo m final (fig) [of party, storm] → final m
at the tail end of the summer → en los últimos días del verano
at the tail end of the summer → en los últimos días del verano
tail away VI + ADV [sound] → ir apagándose
his voice tailed away → su voz se fue desvaneciendo or apagando
after that the book tails away → después de eso el libro pierde interés
his voice tailed away → su voz se fue desvaneciendo or apagando
after that the book tails away → después de eso el libro pierde interés
tail back VI + ADV the traffic tailed back to the bridge → la cola de coches se extendía atrás hasta el puente
tail off VI + ADV
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
tail
[ˈteɪl] n
[animal, bird, fish] → queue f
to have one's tail between one's legs [person] → avoir la queue entre les jambes
to turn tail [person] → faire volte-face
I turned tail and fled upstairs → Je fis volte-face et m'enfuis à l'étage.
to have one's tail between one's legs [person] → avoir la queue entre les jambes
to turn tail [person] → faire volte-face
I turned tail and fled upstairs → Je fis volte-face et m'enfuis à l'étage.
[plane, comet, kite] → queue f
[shirt] → pan m; [coat] → pan m
[procession] → queue f tails
npl
(= tailcoat) → queue-de-pie f
The duke wore white tie and tails → Le duc portait queue-de-pie et cravate blanche.
The duke wore white tie and tails → Le duc portait queue-de-pie et cravate blanche.
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
tail
n
(of animal) → Schwanz m; (hum inf, of person) → Hinterteil nt (inf), → Allerwerteste(r) m (hum inf); with his tail between his legs (fig) → wie ein geprügelter Hund, mit eingezogenem Schwanz (inf); to turn tail → ausreißen, die Flucht ergreifen; he was right on my tail → er saß mir direkt im Nacken
(of aeroplane, kite, procession, list) → Schwanz m; (of comet) → Schweif m; (of shirt) → Zipfel m; (of jacket, coat) → Schoß m; (of letter) → Schleife f; (Mus, of note) → Notenhals m
(inf: = person following sb) → Schatten m (inf), → Beschatter(in) m(f) (inf); to put a tail on somebody → jdn beschatten lassen
(inf) they were out looking for tail → sie hielten nach Weibern (inf) → or Bräuten (sl) → Ausschau; a nice piece of tail → ein geiler Arsch (sl)
vt
person, suspect → beschatten (inf); car etc → folgen (+dat)
? top1
tail
:tailback
n (Brit) → Rückstau m
tailboard
n → Ladeklappe f
tail coat
n → Frack m
tail
:tail end
tail feather
n → Schwanzfeder f
tail fin
n (Aut) → Heckflosse f
tailgate
n (of car) → Hecktür f; (of lorry) → Ladeklappe f
tail gun
n → Heckkanone f
tail gunner
n → Heckschütze m → /-schützin f
tail-heavy
adj (Aviat) plane → schwanzlastig
tail-hopping
n (Ski) → Sprungwedeln nt
tailless
adj → schwanzlos
tail-light
n (Aut) → Rücklicht nt; (Aviat) → Hecklicht nt
tail
:tailpiece
tailpipe
n (US) → Auspuffrohr nt
tailplane
n (Aviat) → Höhenleitwerk nt
tail side
n (of coin) → Zahlseite f
tailskid
n
(Aviat) → Schwanzsporn m
(Aut) → Schleudern nt no pl → der Hinterräder; to go into a tail → mit den Hinterrädern herumrutschen or schleudern
tailspin
n (Aviat) → Trudeln nt
tail unit
n (Aviat) → Schwanzstück nt
tail wheel
n (Aviat) → Spornrad nt
tailwind
n → Rückenwind m
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
tail
[teɪl]1. n (gen) → coda; (of shirt) → estremità inferiore
to put a tail on sb (fig) (fam) → far pedinare qn
he was right on my tail → mi stava alle calcagna
to turn tail → voltare la schiena
he went off with his tail between his legs (fig) → se ne è andato con la coda fra le gambe
see also head, tails
to put a tail on sb (fig) (fam) → far pedinare qn
he was right on my tail → mi stava alle calcagna
to turn tail → voltare la schiena
he went off with his tail between his legs (fig) → se ne è andato con la coda fra le gambe
see also head, tails
tail away tail off vi + adv (in size, quality) → diminuire gradatamente
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
tail
(teil) noun1. the part of an animal, bird or fish that sticks out behind the rest of its body. The dog wagged its tail; A fish swims by moving its tail.
2. anything which has a similar function or position. the tail of an aeroplane/comet.
verb to follow closely. The detectives tailed the thief to the station.
-tailed having a (certain size, type etc of) tail. a black-tailed duck; a long-tailed dog.
tails noun, adverb (on) the side of a coin that does not have the head of the sovereign etc on it. He tossed the coin and it came down tails.
interjection a call showing that a person has chosen that side of the coin when tossing a coin to make a decision etc.
ˌtail-ˈend noun the very end or last part. the tail-end of the procession.
ˈtail-light noun the (usually red) light on the back of a car, train etc. He followed the tail-lights of the bus.
tail wind a wind coming from behind. We sailed home with a tail wind.
tail off1. to become fewer, smaller or weaker (at the end). His interest tailed off towards the end of the film.
2. (also tail away) (of voices etc) to become quieter or silent. His voice tailed away into silence.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
tail
→ ذَيْل ocas hale Schwanz ουρά rabo häntä queue rep coda 尾 꼬리 staart hale ogon rabo хвост svans หาง kuyruk cái đuôi 尾巴Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
tail
n. [appendage] cola, rabo.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012