tail
noun
- 1
The caudal appendage of an animal that is attached to its posterior and near the anus.
“Most primates have a tail and fangs.”
- 2
An object or part of an object resembling a tail in shape, such as the thongs on a cat-o'-nine-tails.
- 3
The back, last, lower, or inferior part of anything.
- 4
The feathers attached to the pygostyle of a bird.
- 5
The tail-end of an object, e.g. the rear of an aircraft's fuselage, containing the tailfin.
- 6
The rear structure of an aircraft, the empennage.
- 7
The visible stream of dust and gases blown from a comet by the solar wind.
- 8
The latter part of a time period or event, or (collectively) persons or objects represented in this part.
- 9
The part of a distribution most distant from the mode; as, a long tail.
- 10
One who surreptitiously follows another.
- 11
The lower order of batsmen in the batting order, usually specialist bowlers.
- 12
The lower loop of the letters in the Roman alphabet, as in g, q or y.
- 13
(chiefly in the plural) The side of a coin not bearing the head; normally the side on which the monetary value of the coin is indicated; the reverse.
- 14
All the last terms of a sequence, from some term on.
- 15
The buttocks or backside.
- 16
The penis of a person or animal.
- 17
Sexual intercourse.
“I'm gonna get me some tail tonight.”
- 18
(kayaking) The stern; the back of the kayak.
- 19
A train or company of attendants; a retinue.
- 20
The distal tendon of a muscle.
- 21
A filamentous projection on the tornal section of each hind wing of certain butterflies.
- 22
A downy or feathery appendage of certain achens, formed of the permanent elongated style.
- 23
A portion of an incision, at its beginning or end, which does not go through the whole thickness of the skin, and is more painful than a complete incision; called also tailing.
- 24
One of the strips at the end of a bandage formed by splitting the bandage one or more times.
- 25
A rope spliced to the strap of a block, by which it may be lashed to anything.
- 26
The part of a note which runs perpendicularly upward or downward from the head; the stem.
- 27
A tailing.
- 28
The bottom or lower portion of a member or part such as a slate or tile.
- 29
A tailcoat.
verb
- 1
To follow and observe surreptitiously.
“Tail that car!”
- 2
To hold by the end; said of a timber when it rests upon a wall or other support; with in or into
- 3
To swing with the stern in a certain direction; said of a vessel at anchor.
“This vessel tails downstream.”
- 4
To follow or hang to, like a tail; to be attached closely to, as that which can not be evaded.
- 5
To pull or draw by the tail.
noun
- 1
Limitation of inheritance to certain heirs.
“in tail — subject to such a limitation”
adjective
- 1
Limited; abridged; reduced; curtailed.
“estate tail”
Translate “tail” to another language
Click any language to open the translator with this word already filled in.