tail

I. noun Usage: often attributive Etymology: Middle English, from Old English tægel; akin to Old High German zagal tail, Middle Irish dúal lock of hair Date: before 12th century 1. the rear end or a process or prolongation of the rear end of the body of an animal 2. something resembling an animal's tail in shape or position: as a. a luminous stream of particles, gases, or ions extending from a comet especially in the antisolar direction b. the rear part of an airplane consisting usually of horizontal and vertical stabilizing surfaces with attached control surfaces 3. retinue 4. plural a. tailcoat b. full evening dress for men 5. a. buttocks, butt b. usually vulgar sexual intercourse 6. the back, last, lower, or inferior part of something 7. tailing 1 — usually used in plural 8. the reverse of a coin — usually used in plural <

tails, I win

> 9. one (as a detective) who follows or keeps watch on someone 10. the blank space at the bottom of a page 11. a location immediately or not far behind <

had a posse on his tail

> • tailed adjective • tailless adjective • taillike adjective II. verb Date: 1523 transitive verb 1. to connect end to end 2. a. to remove the tail of (an animal) ; dock b. to remove the stem or bottom part of <

topping and tailing gooseberries

> 3. a. to make or furnish with a tail b. to follow or be drawn behind like a tail 4. to follow for purposes of surveillance intransitive verb 1. to form or move in a straggling line 2. to grow progressively smaller, fainter, or more scattered ; abate — usually used with off <

productivity is tailing off — Tom Nicholson

> 3. to swing or lie with the stern in a named direction — used of a ship at anchor 4. tag II • tailer noun III. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from tailler Date: 14th century entail 1a IV. adjective Etymology: Middle English taille, from Anglo-French taylé, past participle of tailler to cut, limit — more at tailor Date: 15th century limited as to tenure ; entailed