1. Home
  2. Dictionary
  3. Tail

Definition of Tail in English :

Define Tail in English

Tail meaning in English

Meaning of Tail in English

Pronunciation of Tail in English

Tail pronunciation in English

Pronounce Tail in English

Tail

see synonyms of tail

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 body

2. fag end, tail, tail end

the time of the last part of something

Example Sentences:
'the fag end of this crisis-ridden century'
'the tail of the storm'

3. tail, tail end

any projection that resembles the tail of an animal

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

the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on

Example Sentences:
'he deserves a good kick in the butt'
'are you going to sit on your fanny and do nothing?'

5. shadow, shadower, tail

a spy employed to follow someone and report their movements

6. tail

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

7. empennage, tail, tail assembly

the rear part of an aircraft

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

the rear part of a ship

Verb

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

go after with the intent to catch

Example Sentences:
'The policeman chased the mugger down the alley'
'the dog chased the rabbit'

10. bob, dock, tail

remove or shorten the tail of an animal

11. tail

remove the stalk of fruits or berries

WordNet Lexical Database for English. Princeton University. 2010.

Tail

see synonyms of tail
noun
1. 
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
▶ Related adjective: caudal
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. 
the rear part of an aircraft including the fin, tailplane, and control surfaces; empennage
5. astronomy
the luminous stream of gas and dust particles, up to 200 million km long, driven from the head of a comet, when close to the sun, under the effect of the solar wind and light pressure
6. 
the rear portion of a bomb, rocket, missile, etc, usually fitted with guiding or stabilizing vanes
7. 
a line of people or things
8. 
a long braid or tress of hair
a ponytail
a pigtail
9. Also called: tailfly angling
the lowest fly on a wet-fly cast
10. 
a final short line in a stanza
11. informal
a person employed to follow and spy upon another or others
12. 
an informal word for buttocks
buttock
13. vulgar, slang
a. 
the female genitals
b. offensive
a woman considered sexually (esp in the phrases piece of tail, bit of tail)
14. printing
a. 
the margin at the foot of a page
b. 
the bottom edge of a book
15. 
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
19.  with one's tail between one's legs
verb
20. 
to form or cause to form the tail
21. 
to remove the tail of (an animal); dock
22. (transitive)
to remove the stalk of
to top and tail the gooseberries
23. (transitive)
to connect (objects, ideas, etc) together by or as if by the tail
24. (transitive) informal
to follow stealthily
25. (transitive) Australian
to tend (cattle) on foot
26. (intransitive)
(of a vessel) to assume a specified position, as when at a mooring
27. 
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
noun
1. 
the limitation of an estate or interest to a person and the heirs of his or her body
See also entail
adjective
2. (immediately postpositive)
(of an estate or interest) limited in this way

Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

Tail

see synonyms of tail
noun
1. 
a. 
the rear end of an animal's body, esp. when forming a distinct, flexible appendage to the trunk
b. 
such an appendage
2. 
anything like an animal's tail in form or position
the tail of a shirt
3. 
a luminous train behind a comet or meteor
4. 
the hind, bottom, last, or inferior part of anything
5.  [often pl.]
the reverse side of a coin
6. 
a long braid or tress of hair
7. 
a train of followers or attendants; retinue
8. 
the lower end of a pool or stream
9. 
a. 
the rear or back section of an aircraft
b. 
a set of stabilizing planes at the rear of an airplane
c. 
the rear part of a rocket or missile
10.  US; [pl.]
a. 
tailcoat
b. 
full-dress attire for men
11.  Informal
a person or vehicle that follows another, esp. in surveillance
12.  Slang
the buttocks
13.  Slang, Vulgar
a. 
sexual intercourse with a woman
b. 
a woman regarded as a sexual partner
14.  Printing
the bottom of a page
15.  Prosody
the short line or lines ending certain stanzas or verse forms
adjective
16. 
at the rear or rear end
17. 
from the rear
a tail wind
verb transitive
18. 
to provide with a tail
19. 
to cut or detach the tail or taillike part from
20. 
to form the tail or end of, as of a group or procession; be at the rear or end of
21. 
to fasten or connect at or by the tail
22. 
to fasten one end of (a brick, board, etc.) into a wall, etc.
with in or on
23.  US, Slang
to follow stealthily; shadow
verb intransitive
24. 
to straggle
25. 
to become gradually smaller or fainter
with off or away
26. 
to be fastened into a wall, etc. by one end
said of a brick or board
27.  US, Informal
to follow close behind
28.  Nautical
to go aground or be anchored stern foremost
noun
1. 
entail (sense 4) entail (sense 5)
adjective
2. 
limited in a specific way, as to certain heirs or order of succession

Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

Tail

see synonyms of tail
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.
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.
n.
Limitation of the inheritance of an estate to a particular person and that person's heirs.
adj.
Being in tail: a tail estate.

The American Heritage ® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2018 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

WORD OF THE DAY

hamlet

FIND OUT WHAT IT MEANS

Recent Searches