Illustration of dovetail
- 1 mortises
- 2 tenons
- 3 joint
: something resembling a dove's tail
especially
: a flaring tenon and a mortise into which it fits tightly making an interlocking joint between two pieces (as of wood)
dovetailed; dovetailing; dovetails
1
a
: to join by means of dovetails
b
: to cut to a dovetail
2
a
: to fit skillfully to form a whole
b
: to fit together with
: to fit together into a whole
Examples of dovetail in a Sentence
Verb
the Union and the Confederate accounts of the battle don't dovetail at all
Recent Examples on the Web
Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 31 Mar. 2025
File this six-drawer dresser under the latter for its commanding footprint and swirling burl veneer, with bonus points for durability, English dovetail joinery, and metal glides.
—Shoko Wanger, Architectural Digest, 13 Mar. 2025
Andy Naylor, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025
Perhaps this change dovetails with the drop in refresh rate.
—PCMAG, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dovetail
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
Putting the late Formula 1 driver in a virtual face-off with current champion Verstappen also helps the campaign dovetail into the brand’s return as the motorsport’s official timekeeper from this year, as part of a 10-year deal with parent group LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 31 Mar. 2025
File this six-drawer dresser under the latter for its commanding footprint and swirling burl veneer, with bonus points for durability, English dovetail joinery, and metal glides.
—Shoko Wanger, Architectural Digest, 13 Mar. 2025
Verb
Not forgetting a formidable Frenchman (with whom Eze could dovetail) and a free-scoring Brazilian.
—Andy Naylor, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025
Perhaps this change dovetails with the drop in refresh rate.
—PCMAG, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dovetail
Cite this Entry
“Dovetail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dovetail. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dovetail
1 of 2 noun
dove·tail
-ˌtāl 
: something shaped like a dove's tail
especially
: a joint between two pieces (as of wood) formed by a wedge-shaped part that fits tightly into a wedge-shaped slot in the other piece
dovetail
2 of 2 verb1
a
: to join by means of dovetails
b
: to cut to a dovetail
2
: to fit skillfully together to form a whole
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share