tailnoun [ C ]
uk/teɪl/us/teɪl/tail noun [ C ] (ANIMAL)
B2 a part of an animal's body, sticking out from the base of the back, or something similar in shape or position:
More examples
- With a flick of its tail, the cat was gone.
- With a powerful lash of its tail, the fish jumped out of the net and back into the river.
- The cat's tail was peeping out from under the bed.
- She plaited the horse's tail.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Miscellaneous animal body parts
- -tailed
- back end
- blowhole
- brush
- collar
- dorsal
- giblets
- hind
- hindquarters
- nipple
- pincer
- pseudopod
- speculum
- stalk
- sting
- stinger
- tentacle
- udder
- wing
- winged
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tail noun [ C ] (PERSON FOLLOWING)
informal someone who follows another person to discover where that person goes, what they do, etc.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
International relations: spying and espionage
- agent
- agent provocateur
- counter-espionage
- counterintelligence
- debug
- deep state
- intelligence
- MI5
- MI6
- on the inside idiom
- operative
- phone tapping
- scout
- snoop
- spook
- spy
- spy on sb/sth
- tap
- the CIA
- wired up
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tail noun [ C ] (COIN SIDE)
the side of a coin that does not have a picture of someone's head on it
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Payment methods
- ATM card
- baksheesh
- bank card
- bill
- blank cheque
- cash
- cash card
- cashpoint card
- certified cheque
- direct debit
- giro
- gratuity
- hush money
- per annum
- piece
- smart card
- standing order
- sweetener
- traveller's cheque
- voucher
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tail noun [ C ] (JACKET)
a tailcoat
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Coats, jackets & cloaks
- achkan
- anorak
- Barbour
- baseball jacket
- blazer
- DJ
- donkey jacket
- double-breasted
- doublet
- down jacket
- leucocyte
- lumber jacket
- mac
- mackintosh
- mantle
- sports jacket
- stole
- tailcoat
- three-quarter length
- trench coat
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tail noun [ C ] (BOTTOM)
US tail someone's bottom:
tail noun [ C ] (GRAMMAR)
specialized language a phrase that is placed at the end of a sentence and refers to something mentioned in the sentence
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Linguistics: sentences & expressions
- anagram
- catchphrase
- cliché
- cliché-ridden
- coin
- compound sentence
- concessive clause
- declarative sentence
- expression
- figure of speech
- fronting
- idiom
- mission statement
- nugget
- phrasing
- proverb
- relative clause
- sentence
- simple sentence
- war cry
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Idiom(s)
tailverb [ T ]
uk/teɪl/us/teɪl/to follow and watch someone very closely, especially in order to get information secretly:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Pursuing
- be hot on sb's track/trail idiom
- be on sb's tail idiom
- bear
- bear down on sb/sth
- bring
- bring up the rear idiom
- convoy
- hot
- hound
- in hot pursuit idiom
- on the scent idiom
- pester
- pursue
- pursuer
- run
- scent
- stalk
- tag
- tailgate
- track
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