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tail in

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tail

1  [teyl] ,
Use tail in in a Sentence
–noun
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. Astronomy. the luminous stream extending from the head of a comet.
4. the reverse of a coin (opposed to head ).
5. Aeronautics. the after 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.
d. Distilling. alcohol obtained in the final distillation. Compare 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. Printing, Bookbinding. the bottom of a page or book.
21. Printing. the lower portion of a type, as of g, y, or Q.
–adjective
22. coming from behind: a tail breeze.
23. being in the back or rear: the tail section of a plane.
–verb (used with object)
24. Informal. to follow in order to hinder escape of or to observe: to tail a suspect.
25. to form or furnish with a tail.
26. to form or constitute the tail or end of (a procession, retinue, etc.).
27. to terminate; come after or behind; follow like a tail.
28. to join or attach (one thing) at the tail or end of another.
29. Building Trades. to fasten (a beam, stone, etc.) by one end (usually fol. by in or into).
30. to dock the tail of (a horse, dog, etc.).
–verb (used without object)
31. to follow close behind: She always tails after her sister.
32. to disappear gradually or merge into: The path tails off into the woods.
33. to form, or move or pass in, a line or column suggestive of a tail: The hikers tailed up the narrow path.
34. (of a boat) to have or take a position with the stern in a particular direction.
35. Building Trades. (of a beam, stone, etc.) to be fastened by one end (usually fol. by in or into).
—Idioms
36. 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.
37. with one's tail between one's legs, utterly humiliated; defeated; cowed: They were forced to retreat with their tails between their legs.
Origin:
bef. 900; ME; OE tægl; c. ON tagl horse's tail, Goth tagl hair, MHG zagel tail, MLG tagel rope-end

Related forms:
tailer, noun
tailless, adjective
tail⋅less⋅ly, adverb
tail⋅less⋅ness, noun
taillike, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Word Origin & History

tail  (v.)
"follow secretly," U.S. colloquial, 1907, is from earlier sense of "follow or drive cattle," from tail (n.1). Tail off "diminish" is attested from 1854.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Financial Dictionary

tail

  1. In a bid for a new security issue, the portion of the bid price that follows the decimal. For example, a bid of $92.125 has a tail of .125.

  2. The difference between the average bid and the lowest bid at an auction for Treasury securities.


Wall Street Words: An A to Z Guide to Investment Terms by David L. Scott.
Copyright © 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: tail
Function: adjective
: limited as to tenure —see also fee tail at FEE 1
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: tail
Pronunciation: 'tA(&)l
Function: noun
often attributive 1 : the rear end or a process or prolongation of the rear end ofthe body of an animal
2 : one end of a molecule regarded as opposite to the head; especially : the end of a lipid molecule that consists of a nonpolar hydrocarbonchain and is opposite to the polar group tail attached to a polar head —R. E. Kirk & D. F. Othmer>
3 : any of various parts of bodily structures that are terminal: as a : the distal tendon of a muscle b : the slender left end of the human pancreas c : the common convoluted tube that forms the lower part of the epididymis
4 : the motile part of a sperm that extends from the middle piece to the end and comprises the flagellum
5 : a thin protein tube which forms part of the coat of some bacteriophages and through which DNA is injected into a cell —tailed /'tA(&)ld/ adjective —tail·less /'tA(&)l-les/ adjective
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

tail (tāl)
n.
The posterior part of an animal, especially when elongated and extending beyond the trunk or main part of the body.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Science Dictionary
tail   (tāl)  Pronunciation Key 

  1. The rear, elongated part of many animals, extending beyond the trunk or main part of the body. Tails are used variously for balance, combat, communication, mating displays, fat storage, propulsion and course correction in water, and course correction in air.

  2. A long, stream of gas or dust forced from the head of a comet when it is close to the Sun. Tails can be up to 150 million km (93 million miles) long, and they always point away from the Sun because of the force of the solar wind. ◇ Plasma tails, or ion tails, appear bluish and straight and narrow, and are formed when solar wind forces ionized gas to stream off the coma. Dust tails are wide and curved, and are formed when solar heat forces trails of dust off the coma; solid particles reflecting the Sun's light create their bright yellow color.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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