Definitions for tailteɪl

Random House Webster's College Dictionary

tail^*teɪl(n.)

the hindmost part of an animal, esp. that forming a distinct, flexible appendage to the trunk.
Category: Zoology
something resembling or suggesting this in shape or position:
the tail of a kite.
the luminous stream extending from the head of a comet.
Category: Astronomy
Ref: Also, tails.; (opposed to head 1 ).
the rear portion of an airplane or the like.
Category: Aeronautics
tails, the tapering skirts or ends at the back of a coat, esp. a tail coat. men's full-dress attire.
Category: Clothing
Ref: tail coat.
Slang. the buttocks or rump.
Category: Status (usage)
a person who trails or keeps a close surveillance of another, as a detective or spy.
Category: Informal
the trail of a fleeing person or animal.
Category: Informal
Vulgar Slang. sexual intercourse. Usually Offensive.a person, esp. a woman, considered as a sexual object.
Category: Status (usage)
the hinder, bottom, or end part of something.
a final or concluding part; end.
the inferior or unwanted part of something.
a long braid or tress of hair.
a retinue; train.
the lower part of a pool or stream.
the exposed portion of a piece of roofing, as a slate.
Category: Building Trades
the bottom part of a page or book.
Category: Printing
the lower portion of a printer's type, as of g, y, or
Q.
Category: Printing
(adj.)coming from behind:
a tail breeze.
being in the back or rear:
a tail gun on an aircraft.
(v.t.)to follow in order to hinder escape or to observe.
Category: Informal
to form or furnish with a tail.
to form or constitute the tail or end of.
to join or attach (one thing) at the tail or end of another.
to fasten (a beam, stone, etc.) by one end (usu. fol. by in).
Category: Building Trades
to dock the tail of (a horse, dog, etc.).
Category: Veterinary Science
(v.i.)to follow close behind; tag.
to disappear gradually or merge into.
to form or move in a line suggestive of a tail.
(of a boat) to have or take a position with the stern in a particular direction.
Category: Nautical, Navy
(of a beam, stone, etc.) to be fastened by one end (usu. fol. by in).
Category: Building Trades

Idioms for tail:

turn tail, to run away from difficulty, opposition, etc.; flee.
Category: Idiom
with one's tail between one's legs,utterly defeated or humiliated.
Category: Idiom

^* Usage: Definitions 10a and 10b are vulgar slang. Definition 10b is usually perceived as insulting.

Origin of tail:

bef. 900; OE tægl, c. MLG tagel rope-end, OHG zagel tail, ON tagl horse's tail, Go tagl hair

tail′less•ness(n.)

tailteɪl(n.)

limitation of the passage of an estate; entail.
Category: Law
(adj.)limited to a specified line of heirs; entailed.
Category: Law

Origin of tail:

1200–50; (n.) ME taille < OF, der. of taillier to cut < LL tāliāre (see tailor )

tail′less(adj.)

Princeton's WordNet

tail(noun)
the posterior part of the body of a vertebrate especially when elongated and extending beyond the trunk or main part of the body
fag end, tail, tail end(noun)
the time of the last part of something
"the fag end of this crisis-ridden century"; "the tail of the storm"
tail, tail end(noun)
any projection that resembles the tail of an animal
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, ass(noun)
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?"
tail, shadow, shadower(noun)
a spy employed to follow someone and report their movements
tail(noun)
(usually plural) the reverse side of a coin that does not bear the representation of a person's head
tail, tail assembly, empennage(noun)
the rear part of an aircraft
stern, after part, quarter, poop, tail(verb)
the rear part of a ship
chase, chase after, trail, tail, tag, give chase, dog, go after, track(verb)
go after with the intent to catch
"The policeman chased the mugger down the alley"; "the dog chased the rabbit"
dock, tail, bob(verb)
remove or shorten the tail of an animal
tail(verb)
remove the stalk of fruits or berries

Kernerman English Learner's Dictionary

tail(noun)ɪl
a long body part at the back of an animal
the alligator's tail; a dog wagging its tail
tailɪl
the end of an airplane
The wings and tail were smashed.
tailɪl
the part at the end of sth long
We were at the tail end of a long line of people.

Wiktionary

tail(Noun)
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.
tail(Noun)
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.
tail(Noun)
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.
tail(Noun)
The rear structure of an aircraft, the empennage
tail(Noun)
Specifically, the visible stream of dust and gases blown from a comet by the solar wind.
tail(Noun)
The latter part of a time period or event, or (collectively) persons or objects represented in this part.
tail(Noun)
The part of a distribution most distant from the mode; as, a long tail.
tail(Noun)
One who surreptitiously follows another.
tail(Noun)
The last four or five batsmen in the batting order, usually specialist bowlers.
tail(Verb)
To surreptitiously follow and observe.
Tail that car!
tail(Noun)
The lower loop of the letters in the Roman alphabet, as in g, q or y.
tail(Noun)
The side of a coin not bearing the head; normally the side on which the monetary value of the coin is indicated; the reverse.
tail(Noun)
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.
tail(Noun)
The buttocks or backside.
tail(Noun)
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
tail(Noun)
Sexual intercourse.
I'm gonna get me some tail tonight.
tail(Noun)
the stern; the back of the kayak.
tail(Noun)
limitation of inheritance to certain heirs.
tail(Adjective)
Limited.

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

Webster Dictionary

Tail(noun)
limitation; abridgment
Tail(adj)
limited; abridged; reduced; curtailed; as, estate tail
Tail(noun)
the terminal, and usually flexible, posterior appendage of an animal
Tail(noun)
any long, flexible terminal appendage; whatever resembles, in shape or position, the tail of an animal, as a catkin
Tail(noun)
hence, the back, last, lower, or inferior part of anything, -- as opposed to the head, or the superior part
Tail(noun)
a train or company of attendants; a retinue
Tail(noun)
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
Tail(noun)
the distal tendon of a muscle
Tail(noun)
a downy or feathery appendage to certain achenes. It is formed of the permanent elongated style
Tail(noun)
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
Tail(noun)
one of the strips at the end of a bandage formed by splitting the bandage one or more times
Tail(noun)
a rope spliced to the strap of a block, by which it may be lashed to anything
Tail(noun)
the part of a note which runs perpendicularly upward or downward from the head; the stem
Tail(noun)
same as Tailing, 4
Tail(noun)
the bottom or lower portion of a member or part, as a slate or tile
Tail(noun)
see Tailing, n., 5
Tail(verb)
to follow or hang to, like a tail; to be attached closely to, as that which can not be evaded
Tail(verb)
to pull or draw by the tail
Tail(verb)
to hold by the end; -- said of a timber when it rests upon a wall or other support; -- with in or into
Tail(verb)
to swing with the stern in a certain direction; -- said of a vessel at anchor; as, this vessel tails down stream