tail

tail¹

—tailer, n. —tailless, adj. —taillessly, adv. —taillessness, n. —taillike, adj.

/tayl/, n.

1. the hindmost part of an animal, esp. that forming a distinct, flexible appendage to the trunk.

2. something resembling or suggesting this in shape or position: the tail of a kite.

3. Astron. the luminous stream extending from the head of a comet.

4. the reverse of a coin (opposed to head).

5. Aeron. the after portion of an airplane or the like.

6. tails,

a. See tail coat.

b. the tapering skirts or ends at the back of a coat, esp. a tail coat.

c. men's full-dress attire.

d. Distilling. alcohol obtained in the final distillation. Cf. head (def. 22).

7. Slang. the buttocks or rump.

8. Informal. a person who trails or keeps a close surveillance of another, as a detective or spy: The police decided to put a tail on the suspect.

9. Informal. the trail of a fleeing person or animal: They put a detective on his tail.

10. Slang (vulgar).

a. coitus.

b. a woman considered as a sexual object.

11. the hinder, bottom, or end part of anything; the rear.

12. a final or concluding part of a sentence, conversation, social gathering, etc.; conclusion; end: The tail of the speech was boring. Toward the tail of the concert I'd begun to get tired.

13. the inferior or unwanted part of anything.

14. a long braid or tress of hair.

15. an arrangement of objects or persons extending as or as if a tail.

16. a line of persons awaiting their turns at something; queue.

17. a retinue; train.

18. the lower part of a pool or stream.

19. the exposed portion of a piece of roofing, as a slate.

20. Print., Bookbinding. the bottom of a page or book.

21. Print. the lower portion of a type, as of g, y, or Q.

22. turn tail,

a. to turn one's back on, as in aversion or fright.

b. to run away from difficulty, opposition, etc.; flee: The sight of superior forces made the attackers turn tail.

23. with one's tail between one's legs, utterly humiliated; defeated; cowed: They were forced to retreat with their tails between their legs.

adj.

24. coming from behind: a tail breeze.

25. being in the back or rear: the tail section of a plane.

v.t.

26. Informal. to follow in order to hinder escape of or to observe: to tail a suspect.

27. to form or furnish with a tail.

28. to form or constitute the tail or end of (a procession, retinue, etc.).

29. to terminate; come after or behind; follow like a tail.

30. to join or attach (one thing) at the tail or end of another.

31. Building Trades. to fasten (a beam, stone, etc.) by one end (usually fol. by in or into).

32. to dock the tail of (a horse, dog, etc.).

v.i.

33. to follow close behind: She always tails after her sister.

34. to disappear gradually or merge into: The path tails off into the woods.

35. to form, or move or pass in, a line or column suggestive of a tail: The hikers tailed up the narrow path.

36. (of a boat) to have or take a position with the stern in a particular direction.

37. Building Trades. (of a beam, stone, etc.) to be fastened by one end (usually fol. by in or into).

[bef. 900; ME; OE taegl; c. ON tagl horse's tail, Goth tagl hair, MHG zagel tail, MLG tagel rope-end]

tail²

—tailless, adj.

/tayl/, Law.

n.

1. the limitation of an estate to a person and the heirs of his or her body, or some particular class of such heirs.

adj.

2. limited to a specified line of heirs; being in tail.

[1200-50; (n.) ME taille < OF, deriv. of taillier to cut < LL taliare (see TAILOR¹); (adj.) late ME taille < AF tailé cut, shaped, limited, ptp. of tailler]

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I

Extension of the vertebral column beyond the trunk, or any slender projection resembling such a structure.

In fishes and other animals living completely or partly in water, it is very important to movement through water. Many tree-dwelling animals (e.g., squirrels) use the tail for balance and as a rudder when leaping; in some (e.g., certain monkeys), it is adapted for grasping. Birds' tail feathers aid in flight maneuverability. Other animals use their tails for defense (e.g., porcupines), social signals (e.g., dogs and cats), warning signals (e.g., deer and rattlesnakes), and hunting (e.g., alligators).

II

(as used in expressions)

whip tailed ray

free tailed bat

white tailed deer

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▪ zoology

      in zoology, prolongation of the backbone beyond the trunk of the body, or any slender projection resembling such a structure. The tail of a vertebrate is composed of flesh and bone but contains no viscera. In fishes and many larval amphibians, the tail is of major importance in locomotion. In most land-dwelling quadrupeds it is not an important locomotory device, although in animals such as crocodiles, otters, and whales, which are secondarily adapted to an aquatic environment, the tail, often flattened, again becomes important. Arboreal animals (e.g., squirrel) use the tail for balance and as a rudder when leaping; in some (e.g., spider monkey, chameleon) it is prehensile, a fifth limb for increased mobility and stability. Other adaptive uses of the tail are for defense (e.g., porcupine), social signals (dog), warning signals (rattlesnake), and hunting (alligator). Most of the tail vertebrae of birds have been fused into the short pygostyle bone; this appendage holds the tail feathers, which aid in flight maneuverability.

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