tails


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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.
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.
Phrasal Verbs:
tail down
To ease a heavy load down a steep slope.
tail off (or away)
To diminish gradually; dwindle or subside: The fireworks tailed off into darkness.
Idiom:
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) Law
n.
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.

tails

(teɪlz)
pl n
(Clothing & Fashion) an informal name for tail coat
interj, adv
with the reverse side of a coin uppermost: used as a call before tossing a coin. Compare heads
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

tails

(teɪlz)

adj., adv.
1. (of a coin) with the reverse facing up. Compare heads.
n.
[1675–85]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

tails

  • comet - Has a tail, and gets its name from Greek kometes, "long-haired star."
  • bangs - The practice of cutting horses' tails the same length was called "banging off," which led to this term for a woman's hairstyle.
  • soup-and-fish - Refers to the attire of white tie and tails.
  • tailgate - Originally a gate that dropped down at the tail of a wagon.
Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.tails - formalwear consisting of full evening dress for mentails - formalwear consisting of full evening dress for men
evening clothes, evening dress, eveningwear, formalwear - attire to wear on formal occasions in the evening
morning coat, swallowtail, swallow-tailed coat - a man's full-dress jacket with two long tapering tails at the back
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
Translations
na rubyorel
plat
írás!
bakhliî á peningibakhliî, krónuna!

tails

[teɪlz] n
a. sg (of coin) → testa
heads or tails → testa o croce
b. pl (Dress) → frac m inv, marsina
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

tail

(teil) noun
1. 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 off
1. 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.
References in classic literature ?
Wouldn't you like if your tails were--so-- Curved in the shape of a Cupid's bow?
We've forgotten, but--never mind, Brother, thy tail hangs down behind!
You who have tails just whisk the flies off without thinking about it, and you can't tell what a torment it is to have them settle upon you and sting and sting, and have nothing in the world to lash them off with.
Now look, for instance, at the way they serve dogs, cutting off their tails to make them look plucky, and shearing up their pretty little ears to a point to make them both look sharp, forsooth.
"I'm going to call you 'Pete,'" says my master; and if I'd had five tails I couldn't have done enough wagging to do justice to the occasion.
The game, however, seemed wary; for the instant the animals discovered us, they threw up their heads and tails and went cavorting off, those farther inland following the example of the others until all were lost in the mazes of the distant forest.
"Why, it can be fastened to the back end for a tail," answered the Pumpkinhead.
AN American Statesman who had twisted the tail of the British Lion until his arms ached was at last rewarded by a sharp, rasping sound.
The reason why you don't see his tail, is because he tucks it up out of sight; he carries it coiled away in his pocket, I guess.
But the arrow did the bird no harm; only it dropped a golden feather from its tail, and then flew away.
He was a gentleman before he was gazetted, so, when the Empress announced that "Gentleman-Cadet Robert Hanna Wick" was posted as Second Lieutenant to the Tyneside Tail Twisters at Krab Bokhar, he became an officer and a gentleman, which is an enviable thing; and there was joy in the house of Wick, where Mamma Wick and all the little Wicks fell upon their knees and offered incense to Bobby by virtue of his achievements.
While he hammered away at his metals the Dog slept; but when, on the other hand, he went to dinner and began to eat, the Dog woke up and wagged his tail, as if he would ask for a share of his meal.