Dictionary.com



dovetail

dovetail


dove·tail    Audio Help   (dŭv'tāl')   

n.  

  1. A fan-shaped tenon that forms a tight interlocking joint when fitted into a corresponding mortise.

  2. A joint formed by interlocking one or more such tenons and mortises.

v.   dove·tailed, dove·tail·ing, dove·tails

v.   tr.

  1. To cut into or join by means of dovetails.

  2. To connect or combine precisely or harmoniously.

v.   intr.

  1. To be joined together by means of dovetails.

  2. To combine or interlock into a unified whole: The nurses' schedules dovetailed, so that one was always on duty.

(Download Now or Buy the Book)
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.