tail

the prolongation of an animal’s rear end: The dog wagged his tail.; the rear part of an aircraft; the side of a coin that does not bear a head or date; someone employed to follow and report the movements of another: put a tail on the suspect
Not to be confused with:tale – story; an actual or fictitious narrative of an event: He told an exciting tale.

tail¹

T0011700 (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. tailsa. 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.

tail²

T0011700 (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.]

tail

(teɪl) n1. (Zoology) 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. 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. (Aeronautics) the rear part of an aircraft including the fin, tailplane, and control surfaces; empennage5. (Astronomy) astronomy the luminous stream of gas and dust particles, up to 200 million kilometres long, driven from the head of a comet, when close to the sun, under the effect of the solar wind and light pressure6. (Astronautics) the rear portion of a bomb, rocket, missile, etc, usually fitted with guiding or stabilizing vanes7. a line of people or things8. (Hairdressing & Grooming) a long braid or tress of hair: a ponytail; a pigtail. 9. (Angling) angling Also called: tailfly the lowest fly on a wet-fly cast10. (Poetry) a final short line in a stanza11. informal a person employed to follow and spy upon another or others12. (Anatomy) an informal word for buttocks. See buttock13. (Anatomy) taboo slang a. the female genitalsb. a woman considered sexually (esp in the phrases piece of tail, bit of tail)14. (Printing, Lithography & Bookbinding) printing a. the margin at the foot of a pageb. the bottom edge of a book15. (Angling) the lower end of a pool or part of a stream16. 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 to run away; escape19. with one's tail between one's legs in a state of utter defeat or confusionvb20. to form or cause to form the tail21. (Animals) to remove the tail of (an animal); dock22. (Cookery) (tr) to remove the stalk of: to top and tail the gooseberries. 23. (tr) to connect (objects, ideas, etc) together by or as if by the tail24. (tr) informal to follow stealthily25. (Agriculture) (tr) Austral to tend (cattle) on foot26. (Nautical Terms) (intr) (of a vessel) to assume a specified position, as when at a mooring27. (Building) 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[Old English tægel; related to Old Norse tagl horse's tail, Gothic tagl hair, Old High German zagal tail] ˈtailless adj ˈtaillessly adv ˈtaillessness n ˈtail-ˌlike adj

tail

(teɪl) property lawn (Law) the limitation of an estate or interest to a person and the heirs of his body. See also entailadj (Law) (immediately postpositive) (of an estate or interest) limited in this way[C15: from Old French taille a division; see tailor, tally] ˈtailless adj

tail¹

(teɪl)

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. the luminous stream extending from the head of a comet. 4. Also, tails. the reverse of a coin(opposed to head). 5. the rear portion of an airplane or the like. 6. tails, a. tail coat. b. the tapering skirts or ends at the back of a coat, esp. a tail coat. c. men's full-dress attire. 7. Slang. the buttocks or rump. 8. a person who trails or keeps a close surveillance of another, as a detective or spy. 9. the trail of a fleeing person or animal. 10. Vulgar Slang. a. sexual intercourse. b. Usually Offensive. a person, esp. a woman, considered as a sexual object. 11. the hinder, bottom, or end part of something. 12. a final or concluding part; end. 13. the inferior or unwanted part of something. 14. a long braid or tress of hair. 15. a retinue; train. 16. the lower part of a pool or stream. 17. the exposed portion of a piece of roofing, as a slate. 18. the bottom part of a page or book. 19. the lower portion of a printer's type, as of g, y, or Q. adj. 20. coming from behind: a tail breeze. 21. being in the back or rear: a tail gun on an aircraft. v.t. 22. to follow in order to hinder escape or to observe. 23. to form or furnish with a tail. 24. to form or constitute the tail or end of. 25. to join or attach (one thing) at the tail or end of another. 26. to fasten (a beam, stone, etc.) by one end (usu. fol. by in). 27. to dock the tail of (a horse, dog, etc.). v.i. 28. to follow close behind; tag. 29. to disappear gradually or merge into. 30. to form or move in a line suggestive of a tail. 31. (of a boat) to have or take a position with the stern in a particular direction. 32. (of a beam, stone, etc.) to be fastened by one end (usu. fol. by in). Idioms: 1. turn tail, to run away from difficulty, opposition, etc.; flee. 2. with one's tail between one's legs, utterly defeated or humiliated. [before 900; Old English tægl, c. Middle Low German tagel rope-end, Old High German zagel tail, Old Norse tagl horse's tail, Gothic tagl hair] tail′less, adj. tail′less•ness, n. usage: Definitions 10a and 10b are vulgar slang. Definition 10b is usually perceived as insulting.

tail²

(teɪl)

n. 1. limitation of the passage of an estate; entail. adj. 2. limited to a specified line of heirs; entailed. [1200–50; (n.) Middle English taille < Old French, derivative of taillier to cut < Late Latin tāliāre (see tailor)] tail′less, adj.

tail

(tāl)1. The rear, elongated part of many animals, extending beyond the trunk or main part of the body.2. The long, bright stream of gas and dust forced from the head of a comet when it is close to the sun.Did You Know? The tails of cats and dogs are hard to miss. Sometimes they seem to be there only to be caught under chairs or get stepped on. But as a body feature, tails have many uses throughout the animal kingdom. Cheetahs use the tail for balance while running (as do cats and dogs), and the kangaroo balances with its tail while hopping. The Komodo dragon uses its heavy, powerful tail in combat with other dragons over food and mates. Birds in flight make quick course corrections by adjusting their tail positions. Wolves communicate to other wolves by how they position their tails. And as tadpoles change into frogs, they absorb their tails back into their bodies and make use of the nutrients stored in the tails. Monkeys sometimes hang from their tails, a talent apes gave up during evolution for reasons probably related to their more upright stance.

Tail

the inferior and of ten least influential members of a group, political party, etc., 1604; those who make up the end of a procession.Examples: tail of the army, 1604; of poor followers, flappers, and flatterers, 1838; of maids, 1633; of people, 1604; of ignorant persons, 1578; of precedence, 1895; of an honest profession, 1604.

tail

Past participle: tailed
Gerund: tailing

Imperative
tail
tail

Present
I tail
you tail
he/she/it tails
we tail
you tail
they tail

Preterite
I tailed
you tailed
he/she/it tailed
we tailed
you tailed
they tailed

Present Continuous
I am tailing
you are tailing
he/she/it is tailing
we are tailing
you are tailing
they are tailing

Present Perfect
I have tailed
you have tailed
he/she/it has tailed
we have tailed
you have tailed
they have tailed

Past Continuous
I was tailing
you were tailing
he/she/it was tailing
we were tailing
you were tailing
they were tailing

Past Perfect
I had tailed
you had tailed
he/she/it had tailed
we had tailed
you had tailed
they had tailed

Future
I will tail
you will tail
he/she/it will tail
we will tail
you will tail
they will tail

Future Perfect
I will have tailed
you will have tailed
he/she/it will have tailed
we will have tailed
you will have tailed
they will have tailed

Future Continuous
I will be tailing
you will be tailing
he/she/it will be tailing
we will be tailing
you will be tailing
they will be tailing

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been tailing
you have been tailing
he/she/it has been tailing
we have been tailing
you have been tailing
they have been tailing

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been tailing
you will have been tailing
he/she/it will have been tailing
we will have been tailing
you will have been tailing
they will have been tailing

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been tailing
you had been tailing
he/she/it had been tailing
we had been tailing
you had been tailing
they had been tailing

Conditional
I would tail
you would tail
he/she/it would tail
we would tail
you would tail
they would tail

Past Conditional
I would have tailed
you would have tailed
he/she/it would have tailed
we would have tailed
you would have tailed
they would have tailed

Thesaurus

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 bodycraniate, vertebrate - animals having a bony or cartilaginous skeleton with a segmented spinal column and a large brain enclosed in a skull or craniumrattle - loosely connected horny sections at the end of a rattlesnake's tailbrush - a bushy tail or part of a bushy tail (especially of the fox)bobtail, bob, dock - a short or shortened tail of certain animalscaudal appendage - tail especially of a mammal posterior to and above the anusuropygium - posterior part of a bird's body from which the tail feathers growoxtail - the skinned tail of cattle; used especially for soupsfluke - either of the two lobes of the tail of a cetaceanscut - a short erect tailflag - a conspicuously marked or shaped taildock - the solid bony part of the tail of an animal as distinguished from the hairappendage, outgrowth, process - a natural prolongation or projection from a part of an organism either animal or plant; "a bony process"
	2.	tail - the time of the last part of something; "the fag end of this crisis-ridden century"; "the tail of the storm"fag end, tail endend, ending - the point in time at which something ends; "the end of the year"; "the ending of warranty period"
	3.	tail - any projection that resembles the tail of an animaltail endprojection - any solid convex shape that juts out from something
	4.	tail - 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?"arse, ass, behind, buns, buttocks, hind end, hindquarters, keister, nates, posterior, prat, derriere, fanny, rear end, tooshie, tush, seat, fundament, backside, bottom, rump, stern, tail end, rear, bum, can, buttbody part - any part of an organism such as an organ or extremitytorso, trunk, body - the body excluding the head and neck and limbs; "they moved their arms and legs and bodies"
	5.	tail - a spy employed to follow someone and report their movementsshadower, shadowfollower - someone who travels behind or pursues anotherspy - a secret watcher; someone who secretly watches other people; "my spies tell me that you had a good time last night"
	6.	tail - (usually plural) the reverse side of a coin that does not bear the representation of a person's headverso, reverse - the side of a coin or medal that does not bear the principal designplural, plural form - the form of a word that is used to denote more than onecoin - a flat metal piece (usually a disc) used as moneyhead - (usually plural) the obverse side of a coin that usually bears the representation of a person's head; "call heads or tails!"
	7.	tail - the rear part of an aircraftempennage, tail assemblyfuselage - the central body of an airplane that is designed to accommodate the crew and passengers (or cargo)horizontal tail - the horizontal stabilizer and elevator in the tail assembly of an aircraftback, rear - the side that goes last or is not normally seen; "he wrote the date on the back of the photograph"stabilizer - airfoil consisting of a device for stabilizing an aircraftvertical tail - the vertical airfoil in the tail assembly of an aircraft
	8.	tail - the rear part of a ship after part, stern, poop, quarterescutcheon - (nautical) a plate on a ship's stern on which the name is inscribedback, rear - the side that goes last or is not normally seen; "he wrote the date on the back of the photograph"ship - a vessel that carries passengers or freightskeg - a brace that extends from the rear of the keel to support the rudderpost
Verb	1.	tail - go after with the intent to catch; "The policeman chased the mugger down the alley"; "the dog chased the rabbit"dog, give chase, go after, chase, chase after, trail, track, tagtree - chase an animal up a tree; "the hunters treed the bear with dogs and killed it"; "her dog likes to tree squirrels"pursue, follow - follow in or as if in pursuit; "The police car pursued the suspected attacker"; "Her bad deed followed her and haunted her dreams all her life"quest - search the trail of (game); "The dog went off and quested"hound, hunt, trace - pursue or chase relentlessly; "The hunters traced the deer into the woods"; "the detectives hounded the suspect until they found him"run down - pursue until captured; "They ran down the fugitive"
	2.	tail - remove or shorten the tail of an animalbob, dockcut - separate with or as if with an instrument; "Cut the rope"
	3.	tail - remove the stalk of fruits or berriespinch, top - cut the top off; "top trees and bushes"

tail

noun1. extremity, appendage, brush, rear end, hindquarters, hind part, empennage The cattle were swinging their tails to disperse the flies.2. train, end, trail, tailpiece a comet tail3. shadow, detective, private eye (informal), sleuth (informal), private investigator The police had already put a tail on a couple of suspects.4. close, end, conclusion, termination, tail end We still have the tail of the outbreak to deal with.5. (Informal) buttocks, behind (informal), bottom, butt (U.S. & Canad. informal), bum (Brit. slang), ass (U.S. & Canad. taboo slang), rear (informal), buns (U.S. slang), arse (taboo slang), backside (informal), rump, rear end, posterior, derrière (euphemistic), jacksy (Brit. slang) He desperately needs a kick in the tail.6. (used of hair) ponytail, braid, plait, tress, pigtail She wore bleached denims with her golden tail of hair swinging.verb1. (Informal) follow, track, shadow, trail, stalk, keep an eye on, dog the footsteps of Officers had tailed the gang in an undercover inquiry.on someone's tail close behind someone, hard on someone's heels, following someone closely, tailing someone He knew that the journalists were on his tail.tail away or off decrease, fade, die out, fail, drop, dwindle, wane, fall away, peter out His voice tailed away in the bitter cold air.turn tail run away, flee, run off, escape, take off (informal), retreat, make off, hook it (slang), run for it (informal), scarper (Brit. slang), cut and run, show a clean pair of heels, skedaddle (informal), take to your heels I turned tail and fled in the direction of the house.Related words
adjective caudal

tail

noun1. The hindmost part of something:end, rear, tag end, tail end.2. Something that follows or is drawn along behind:trail, train, wake.3. Informal. An agent assigned to observe and report on another:shadow, watcher.verbInformal. To keep (another) under surveillance by moving along behind:dog, follow, shadow, track, trail.Informal: bird-dog.phrasal verb
tail away or off
To grow or cause to grow gradually less:abate, decrease, diminish, drain, dwindle, ebb, lessen, let up, peter (out), rebate, reduce, taper (off).

Translations

尾巴尾状物尾部尾随跟踪

tail

(teil) noun1. 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.尾巴2. anything which has a similar function or position. the tail of an aeroplane/comet. 尾状物，尾部 verb to follow closely. The detectives tailed the thief to the station. 跟踪，尾随 -tailed having a (certain size, type etc of) tail. a black-tailed duck; a long-tailed dog. 有...尾（状）的 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.钱币背面 interjection a call showing that a person has chosen that side of the coin when tossing a coin to make a decision etc. （猜钱币决定某事时）要背面 ˌtail-ˈend noun the very end or last part. the tail-end of the procession. 末尾，末端 ˈtail-light noun the (usually red) light on the back of a car, train etc. He followed the tail-lights of the bus.尾灯tail wind a wind coming from behind. We sailed home with a tail wind.尾风tail off1. to become fewer, smaller or weaker (at the end). His interest tailed off towards the end of the film. 变少，缩小 2. (also tail away) (of voices etc) to become quieter or silent. His voice tailed away into silence. （声音）越来越弱

tail

→ 尾巴zhCN

tail

¹1. 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 2. the rear part of an aircraft including the fin, tail plane, and control surfaces; empennage 3. Astronomy the luminous stream of gas and dust particles, up to 200 million kilometres long, driven from the head of a comet, when close to the sun, under the effect of the solar wind and light pressure 4. Angling the lowest fly on a wet-fly cast 5. a final short line in a stanza 6. the lower end of a pool or part of a stream

tail

² Property law1. the limitation of an estate or interest to a person and the heirs of his body 2. (of an estate or interest) limited in this way

tail

Short for comet tail.

Tail

a more or less isolated and mobile posterior section of the body in vertebrates that performs various functions.

In fishes the tail section is not sharply differentiated from the body and is usually equipped with a large fin—the main organ of locomotion. The tail of terrestrial vertebrates does not perform a locomotive function, although in many animals, for example, caudate amphibians and reptiles, it serves as an auxiliary organ of locomotion. In extant birds the caudal section proper of the spine is shortened; in Carinatae it is represented by five to seven vertebrae that are concresced into the coccyx, or pygostyle, which supports the rectrices. The tail of mammals is a slender, mobile appendage of varying length; the skeletal axis consists of three to 49 free vertebrae.

The tail may be prehensile, serving as an aid in climbing (opossums, certain anteaters and monkeys, raccoons). It may serve as an organ of support and a rudder in some jumping animals (kangaroos, jerboas, great jerboas), or it may act as a parachute (squirrels, dormouses). The short tail of whales and sirens has developed a fin and, thus, performs a locomotive function. Some animals, for example, horses and cattle, drive away flying insects with their tails. In a number of mammals the tail is reduced.

In the human embryo a tail appears at the end of the first month or the beginning of the second. With normal development it disappears during the third month. The presence of a tail in a human in the postembryonic period is an example of atavism.

What does it mean when you dream about a tail?

A tail can refer to excitement, as in a dog that wags its tale, or the opposite, as when a tail is dragged between one’s legs. There are numerous idioms involving this word, and dreams in which a tail is featured can be alluding to the meaning of any one of them: “turn tail,” “on someone else’s coattails,” a “tail wagging the dog,” or the “tail end” of something.

tail

[tāl] (aerospace engineering) The rear part of a body, as of an aircraft or a rocket. The tail surfaces of an aircraft or a rocket. (astronomy) The part of a comet that extends from the coma in a direction opposite to the sun; it consists of dust and gas that have been blown away from the coma by the solar wind and the sun's radiation pressure. (electronics) A small pulse that follows the main pulse of a radar set and rises in the same direction. The trailing edge of a pulse. (mathematics) For a stochastic process represented by x (t₁), x (t₂),…, the process obtained by deleting the first n terms, for some n. (vertebrate zoology) The usually slender appendage that arises immediately above the anus in many vertebrates and contains the caudal vertebrae. The uropygium, and its feathers, of a bird. The caudal fin of a fish or aquatic mammal.

tail

1. Exposed lower portion of a slate shingle.2. Tailing. 3.See rafter tail. 4.See lookout.

tail

i. The rear part of a body, as of an aircraft, a rocket, etc.
ii. The tail surfaces of an aircraft or rocket.

tail

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tail2

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Tail

What does it mean when you dream about a tail?

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Patient discussion about tail

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Tail

Cross-references

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TAIL

tail

Synonyms for tail

noun extremity

Synonyms

noun train

Synonyms

noun shadow

Synonyms

noun close

Synonyms

noun buttocks

Synonyms

noun ponytail

Synonyms

verb follow

Synonyms

phrase on someone's tail

Synonyms

phrase tail away or off

Synonyms

phrase turn tail

Synonyms

Synonyms for tail

noun the hindmost part of something

Synonyms

noun something that follows or is drawn along behind

Synonyms

noun an agent assigned to observe and report on another

Synonyms

verb to keep (another) under surveillance by moving along behind

Synonyms

phrase tail away: to grow or cause to grow gradually less

Synonyms

Synonyms for 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

Related Words

tail¹

tail²

tail¹

tail²