Definitions for tail
teɪltail

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. tailnoun

   the posterior part of the body of a vertebrate especially when elongated and extending beyond the trunk or main part of the body

2. fag end, tail, tail endnoun

   the time of the last part of something

   "the fag end of this crisis-ridden century"; "the tail of the storm"

3. tail, tail endnoun

   any projection that resembles the tail of an animal

4. buttocks, nates, arse, butt, backside, bum, buns, can, fundament, hindquarters, hind end, keister, posterior, prat, rear, rear end, rump, stern, seat, tail, tail end, tooshie, tush, bottom, behind, derriere, fanny, assnoun

   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?"

5. tail, shadow, shadowernoun

   a spy employed to follow someone and report their movements

6. tailnoun

   (usually plural) the reverse side of a coin that does not bear the representation of a person's head

7. tail, tail assembly, empennagenoun

   the rear part of an aircraft

8. stern, after part, quarter, poop, tailverb

   the rear part of a ship

9. chase, chase after, trail, tail, tag, give chase, dog, go after, trackverb

   go after with the intent to catch

   "The policeman chased the mugger down the alley"; "the dog chased the rabbit"

10. dock, tail, bobverb

    remove or shorten the tail of an animal

11. tailverb

    remove the stalk of fruits or berries

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. tailnoun

   The caudal appendage of an animal that is attached to its posterior and near the anus.

   Most primates have a tail, and even early humans did.

2. tailnoun

   The tail-end of an object, e.g. the rear of an aircraft's fuselage, containing the tailfin.

   When a grumpy client of the frat's annual carwash complained the tail of his menure-soiled tractor wasn't completely cleaned, the poor pledges had to drop trou and bend over to get their own tails paddled in public.

3. tailnoun

   An object or part thereof resembling a tail in shape, such as the thongs on a cat-o'-nine-tails or other multi-tail whip.

4. tailnoun

   The rear structure of an aircraft, the empennage

5. tailnoun

   Specifically, the visible stream of dust and gases blown from a comet by the solar wind.

6. tailnoun

   The latter part of a time period or event, or (collectively) persons or objects represented in this part.

7. tailnoun

   The part of a distribution most distant from the mode; as, a long tail.

8. tailnoun

   One who surreptitiously follows another.

9. tailnoun

   The last four or five batsmen in the batting order, usually specialist bowlers.

10. tailverb

    To surreptitiously follow and observe.

    Tail that car!

11. tailnoun

    The lower loop of the letters in the Roman alphabet, as in g, q or y.

12. tailnoun

    The side of a coin not bearing the head; normally the side on which the monetary value of the coin is indicated; the reverse.

13. tailnoun

    All the last terms of a sequence, from some term on.

    A sequence uE00026906uE001 is said to be frequently uE00026907uE001 if every tail of the sequence contains uE00026908uE001.

14. tailnoun

    The buttocks or backside.

15. tailnoun

    The male member of a person or animal.

    After the burly macho nudists' polar bear dip, their tails were spectacularly shrunk, so they looked like an immature kid's innocent tail

16. tailnoun

    Sexual intercourse.

    I'm gonna get me some tail tonight.

17. tailnoun

    the stern; the back of the kayak.

18. tailnoun

    limitation of inheritance to certain heirs.

19. tailadjective

    Limited.

20. Etymology: From tægel. In some senses, apparently by a generalization of the usual opposition between head and tail.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Tailnoun

   Etymology: tægl , Saxon.

   1. That which terminates the animal behind; the continuation of the vertebræ of the back hanging loose behind.

   Oft have I seen a hot o’er-weening cur,
   Run back and bite, because he was with-held,
   Who, having suffer’d with the bear’s fell paw,
   Hath clapt his tail betwixt his legs and cry’d. William Shakespeare.

   This sees the cub, and does himself oppose,
   And men and boats his active tail confounds. Edmund Waller.

   The lion will not kick, but will strike such a stroke with his tail, that will break the back of his encounterer. More.

   Rouz’d by the lash of his own stubborn tail,
   Our lion now will foreign foes assail. Dryden.

   The tail fin is half a foot high, but underneath level with the tail. Nehemiah Grew.

   2. The lower part.

   The Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above, and not beneath. Deut. xxviii. 13.

   3. Any thing hanging long; a cat-kin.

   Duretus writes a great praise of the distilled water of those tails that hang upon willow trees. Gideon Harvey, on Consumptions.

   4. The hinder part of any thing.

   With the helm they turn and steer the tail. Samuel Butler.

   5. To turn Tail. To fly; to run away.

   Would she turn tail to the heron, and fly quite out another way; but all was to return in a higher pitch. Sidney.

2. To Tailverb

   To pull by the tail.

   The conquering foe they soon assail’d,
   First Trulla stav’d and Cerdon tail’d. Hudibras, b. i.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. tail

   1) In zoology, a tail is the posterior part of an animal's body that extends beyond the main body, particularly distinct from the head, torso, and limbs. 2) In clothing, a tail refers to the rear or long flowing part of a garment such as a coat, skirt or dress. 3) In aviation, a tail is the rear part of an aircraft, consisting of vertical and horizontal stabilizers that control an aircraft's direction. 4) In probability and statistics, a tail is the part of a distribution most important for values greater or less than a certain reference value. 5) In computing, tail usually refers to a command in UNIX and UNIX-like operating systems to display the tail end of a text file or piped data. 6) In dialog, tail can also mean to follow or shadow someone closely. 7) In finance, tail can refer to the time during which the remaining, diminishing, not-yet-repaid portion of a loan or liability needs to be returned or settled.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Tailnoun

   limitation; abridgment

2. Tailadjective

   limited; abridged; reduced; curtailed; as, estate tail

3. Tailnoun

   the terminal, and usually flexible, posterior appendage of an animal

4. Tailnoun

   any long, flexible terminal appendage; whatever resembles, in shape or position, the tail of an animal, as a catkin

5. Tailnoun

   hence, the back, last, lower, or inferior part of anything, -- as opposed to the head, or the superior part

6. Tailnoun

   a train or company of attendants; a retinue

7. Tailnoun

   the side of a coin opposite to that which bears the head, effigy, or date; the reverse; -- rarely used except in the expression "heads or tails," employed when a coin is thrown up for the purpose of deciding some point by its fall

8. Tailnoun

   the distal tendon of a muscle

9. Tailnoun

   a downy or feathery appendage to certain achenes. It is formed of the permanent elongated style

10. Tailnoun

    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

11. Tailnoun

    one of the strips at the end of a bandage formed by splitting the bandage one or more times

12. Tailnoun

    a rope spliced to the strap of a block, by which it may be lashed to anything

13. Tailnoun

    the part of a note which runs perpendicularly upward or downward from the head; the stem

14. Tailnoun

    same as Tailing, 4

15. Tailnoun

    the bottom or lower portion of a member or part, as a slate or tile

16. Tailnoun

    see Tailing, n., 5

17. Tailverb

    to follow or hang to, like a tail; to be attached closely to, as that which can not be evaded

18. Tailverb

    to pull or draw by the tail

19. Tailverb

    to hold by the end; -- said of a timber when it rests upon a wall or other support; -- with in or into

20. Tailverb

    to swing with the stern in a certain direction; -- said of a vessel at anchor; as, this vessel tails down stream

WikidataRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Tail

   The tail is the section at the rear end of an animal's body; in general, the term refers to a distinct, flexible appendage to the torso. It is the part of the body that corresponds roughly to the sacrum and coccyx in mammals, reptiles, and birds. While tails are primarily a feature of vertebrates, some invertebrates including scorpions and springtails, as well as snails and slugs, have tail-like appendages that are sometimes referred to as tails. Tailed objects are sometimes referred to as "caudate" and the part of the body associated with or proximal to the tail are given the adjective "caudal".

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Tail

   tāl, n. the posterior extremity of an animal, its caudal appendage: anything resembling a tail in appearance, position, &c.: the back, lower, or hinder part of anything: a retinue, suite: a queue or body of persons in single file: anything long and hanging, as a catkin, train of a comet, long curl of hair, &c.: in Turkey, a horse-tail, formerly carried before a pasha as an emblem of relative rank.—n. Tail′-board, the board at the hinder end of a cart or wagon, which can be let down or removed, for convenience in unloading.—adj. Tailed, having a tail of a specified kind.—ns. Tail′-end, the hind part of any animal, the tip of the tail: the end or finish of anything, the fag-end: (pl.) inferior corn sorted out from that of better quality; Tail′-feath′er, one of the rectrices or rudder-feathers of a bird's tail; Tail′-gate, the aft or lower gate of a canal lock.—n.pl. Tail′ings, refuse, dregs.—adj. Tail′less, having no tail.—ns. Tail′piece, a piece at the tail or end, esp. of a series, as of engravings; Tail′pipe, the suction pipe in a pump.—v.t. to fasten something to the tail of, as a dog, to fix something to one by way of joke.—ns. Tail′race, the channel in which water runs away below a mill-wheel; Tail′rope, in coal-mining, a rope extending from the hind part of a car or kibble in a slightly inclined passage, by means of which the empties are drawn 'inby,' while the loaded cars are drawn 'outby.'—Lay, or Put, salt on the tail of (see Salt); Make neither head nor tail of anything (see Head); Turn tail, to run away, to shirk a combat; Twist the lion's tail (U.S.), to goad or insult the pacific and long-suffering British public feeling for political purposes in America; With the tail between the legs, in a cowardly way, after the manner of a beaten cur when he sneaks away. [A.S. tægel; Ger. zagel; Goth. tagl, hair.]

2. Tail

   tāl, n. (law) the term applied to an estate which is cut off or limited to certain heirs.—ns. Tail′āge, Tall′āge. [Fr. taille, cutting. Cf. Entail.]

Dictionary of Nautical TermsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. tail

   A rope spliced into the strop or round of any block, leaving a long end for making fast to rigging, spars, &c.--To tail on to a bank. To be aground abaft only.--To tail up or down a stream. When at anchor in a river, is as a ship's stern swings.

Editors ContributionRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. tail

   A component of an aircraft created and designed in various colors, materials, mechanisms, shapes, sizes and styles.

   The tail rotor on the plane does have a role to play in balance and for other purposes.

   
   

   Submitted by MaryC on April 28, 2020  

2. ---

   tail

   An element on the body of a specific type of animal.

   A cat, dog and fox have a tail.

   
   

   Submitted by MaryC on July 19, 2020  

EntomologyRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Tail

   an elongated terminal segment of the abdomen: the cauda in plant lice: elongated processes on the secondaries, in some Lepidoptera and Neuroptera.

Matched Categories

1. • Body Part
   • Cut
   • End
   • Follower
   • Process
   • Projection
   • Rear
   • Reverse
   • Spy
   • Top

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'tail' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #3679

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'tail' in Written Corpus Frequency: #3333

3. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'tail' in Nouns Frequency: #1329

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

1. 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Anagrams for tail »

1. alit

2. ital

3. lati

4. LIAT

5. tali

How to pronounce tail?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say tail in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of tail in Chaldean Numerology is: 9

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of tail in Pythagorean Numerology is: 6

Examples of tail in a Sentence

1. Derrick Hayes:

   It was shocking to me, i really worked my tail off to get here.

2. American Heritage:

   There was a periscope through which the pilot could observe the tail assembly for signs of ice accumulation or mechanical malfunction.

3. Albert Einstein:

   You see, wire telegraph is a kind of a very, very long cat. You pull his tail in New York and his head is meowing in Los Angeles. Do you understand this And radio operates exactly the same way you send signals here, they receive them there. The only difference is that there is no cat.

4. Thomas Nashe:

   A traveler must have the back of an ass to bear all, a tongue like the tail of a dog to flatter all, the mouth of a hog to eat what is set before him, the ear of a merchant to hear all and say nothing.

5. Miles Montgomery:

   She started to wag her tail when she saw her stop. Then she jumped down from the seat and she just ran off the bus, and she ran to the dog park.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=tail
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Tail
3. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=tail
4. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
5. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tail
6. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=tail
7. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=tail
8. ^ Dictionary of Nautical Terms
   https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/26000/pg26000-images.html#:~:text=tail
9. ^ Entomology
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/22748/22748-h/22748-h.htm#:~:text=tail
10. ^ Usage in printed sources
    https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=tail