tail

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈtāl 

often attributive

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: such 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

: the reverse of a coin

—usually used in plural

tails, I win

4

tails plural

a

: tailcoat

b

: full evening dress for men

5

: a location immediately or not far behind

had a posse on his tail

6

: one (such as a detective) who follows or keeps watch on someone

7

a

: buttocks, butt

b

slang, vulgar : sexual intercourse

8

: retinue

9

: the back, last, lower, or inferior part of something

10

: tailing sense 1

—usually used in plural

11

: the blank space at the bottom of a page

tailed

ˈtāld 

adjective

tailless

ˈtāl-ləs 

adjective

taillike

ˈtāl-ˌlīk 

adjective

tail

2 of 4

verb

tailed; tailing; tails

transitive verb

1

: to follow for purposes of surveillance

2

: to connect end to end

3

a

: to remove the tail of (an animal) : dock entry 3

b

: to remove the stem or bottom part of

topping and tailing gooseberries

4

a

: to make or furnish with a tail

b

: to follow or be drawn behind like a tail

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 entry 2

tailer noun

tail

3 of 4

noun (2)

: entail sense 1a

tail

4 of 4

adjective

: limited as to tenure : entailed

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• cortege
• cortège
• entourage
• following
• posse
• retinue
• suite
• train

Verb

• bird-dog
• chase
• course
• dog
• follow
• hound
• pursue
• run
• shadow
• tag
• trace
• track
• trail

Examples of tail in a Sentence

Noun (1)

the tail that accompanies the prince wherever he goes

get your tail in here

the tail of the ship

Verb

The police had been tailing the suspect for several miles.

She is constantly tailed by the press.

The pitch tailed away from the batter.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Cher was once tailed by private detectives hired by Sonny Bono. —Marina Watts, People.com, 4 Dec. 2024

The suspects tailed the victim and even ran a red light to keep close, as the victim was unaware that he was being followed. —Landon Mion, Fox News, 27 Nov. 2024

Noun

And what’s up with these weird tufts of hair that seem to be sprouting in the small of her back, or what appears to be the nub of a tail where her backbone ends? —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 6 Dec. 2024

On Halloween, the couple posted a cheeky Halloween photo on the beach with Belichick dressed as a fisherman and reeling in Hudson, who donned a mermaid tail. —Lawrence Yee, People.com, 6 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English tægel; akin to Old High German zagal tail, Middle Irish dúal lock of hair

Noun (2)

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from tailler

Adjective

Middle English taille, from Anglo-French taylé, past participle of tailler to cut, limit — more at tailor

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1523, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing tail

• brown-tail moth
• draggle-tail
• e-tail
• fee tail
• lizard's tail
• mare's tail
• nose to tail
• not make head or/nor tail of
• one-tail
• on someone's tail
• put a tail on (someone)
• rat-tail file
• rooster tail
• tail covert
• tail end
• tail fin
• tail hook
• tail off
• the tail end
• the tail wagging the dog
• trundle-tail
• turn tail
• two-tail
• with one's tail between one's legs

Kids Definition

tail

1 of 3 noun

ˈtā(ə)l 

1

: the rear end or a lengthened growth from the rear end of the body of an animal

2

: something resembling an animal's tail

the tail of a kite

the tail of a comet

3

plural : full evening dress for men

4

: the back, last, lower, or rear part of something

the tail of an airplane

5

: the reverse of a coin

6

: one (as a detective) who follows or keeps watch on someone

7

: a location not far behind

a posse on the outlaw's tail

tailed

ˈtā(ə)ld 

adjective

tailless

ˈtā(ə)l-ləs 

adjective

taillike

-ˌlīk 

adjective

tail

2 of 3 adjective

: being at or coming from the rear

tail

3 of 3 verb

1

: to make or furnish with a tail

2

a

: to follow or be drawn behind like a tail

b

: to follow closely to observe : shadow

tailer noun

Medical Definition

tail

noun

ˈtā(ə)l 

often attributive

1

: the rear end or a process or prolongation of the rear end of the 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 hydrocarbon chain and is opposite to the polar group

most surface-active agents have a long hydrophobic 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

ˈtā(ə)ld 

adjective

tailless

ˈtā(ə)l-les 

adjective

Legal Definition

tail

1 of 2 noun

1

: the condition of being limited or restricted by entailing

a tenant in tail

2

: entail sense 2

tail

2 of 2 adjective

: limited as to tenure see also fee tail at fee sense 1

Etymology

Noun

Anglo-French, literally, cutting, from Old French, from taillier to cut, prune