tail covert noun

Any of a bird's covert feathers covering the base of its tail feathers

tail end noun

1. The fag end, final and/or inferior part
2. (in pl) inferior corn sorted out from better
3. Something that comes at the end

tail-end Charlie noun (informal)

A person who comes at the end

tail-enˈder noun (informal)

Someone or something coming at the end

tail feather noun

1. One of the rectrices or stiff rudder-feathers of a bird's tail, used in steering
2. A feather on a bird's back forming a train, as in the peacock

tail fly noun (angling)

The fly at the end of the leader

tailˈgate noun

1. Lower gate of a lock
2. A tailboard (N American)
3. A door at the back of a car that opens upwards on hinges at its top edge
4. A jazz style of playing esp the trombone

transitive verb and intransitive verb (slang)

To drive dangerously close behind (another vehicle)

To picnic around the boot of one's car, esp outside a stadium before a sports match

tailˈgater noun

A person who tailgates

tail lamp or tail light noun (esp N American)

A usu red light carried at the back of a train, tram, car or other vehicle

tailˈpiece noun

1. A piece at the tail or end
2. An engraving, design, etc occupying the bottom of a page, eg at the end of a chapter
3. A strip of ebony, etc to which the ends of the strings are attached in a fiddle

tailˈpipe noun

1. The exhaust pipe of a car (orig US)
2. The suction-pipe in a pump

transitive verb

To tie a tin can or similar object to the tail of (a dog) to frighten or annoy it (the precise force of ‘pipe’ being unknown)

tailˈplane noun

A horizontal aerofoil on the tail of an aircraft

tailˈrace noun

The channel in which water runs away below a millwheel, or from a hydraulically-operated machine, etc

tail rhyme or tailed rhyme noun

A verse form in which two or more rhymed lines are followed by a shorter line that does not rhyme with the others

tail rope noun

A rope attached to the rear part of anything

tail rotor noun

(on a helicopter) a small rear propeller designed to counteract the torque of the main rotor

tailˈskid noun

1. A support under the tail of an aeroplane on the ground
2. (in a motor vehicle) a skid starting with the rear wheels

tailˈspin noun

1. A spiral dive of an aeroplane
2. An uncontrolled downward spiral
3. A state of panic or frenzy (informal)

tailˈstock noun

A slidable casting mounted on a lathe, aligned with the headstock, used to support the free end of the piece being worked on

tailˈwheel noun

A wheel at the rear of a vehicle, esp that under the rear end of an aircraft

tail wind noun

A wind blowing in the same direction as one is travelling in

a bit (or piece) of tail (offensive sl)

A woman

not make head or tail of

To make no sense of

on someone's tail

Following someone very closely

tail off

To become gradually less or fewer

tail of the eye

1. The outer corner of the eye
2. The margin of the field of vision

the tail wagging the dog (informal)

A situation in which the less important element or factor controls or influences the more important

turn tail

To turn round (and run off)

twist the lion's tail

To irritate Britain

with one's tail up

Perky, in good humour

with the tail between the legs

In a state of dejection after chastisement or humiliation, like a beaten cur