tail

[[t]te͟ɪl[/t]]

♦♦♦

tails, tailing, tailed

1) N-COUNT The tail of an animal, bird, or fish is the part extending beyond the end of its body.

The cattle were swinging their tails to disperse the flies.

...a black dog with a long tail.

Derived words:

-tailed COMB in ADJ

...white-tailed deer.

2) N-COUNT: usu with supp You can use tail to refer to the end or back of something, especially something long and thin.

...the horizontal stabilizer bar on the plane's tail...

Elsie tugged her husband's coat tail.

...a comet tail.

3) N-PLURAL If a man is wearing tails, he is wearing a formal jacket which has two long pieces hanging down at the back.

Syn:

tailcoat

4) VERB To tail someone means to follow close behind them and watch where they go and what they do. [INFORMAL]

[V n] Officers had tailed the gang from London during a major undercover inquiry...

[have n V-ed] He trusted her so little that he had her tailed.

Syn:

shadow

5) N-COUNT A tail is someone who is paid to watch and to follow another person. [INFORMAL]

He checked behind. No tail.

6) ADV: ADV after v If you toss a coin and it comes down tails, you can see the side of it that does not have a picture of a head on it.

Ant:

heads

7) PHRASE: V inflects (disapproval) If you say that the tail is wagging the dog, you mean that a small or unimportant part of something is becoming too important and is controlling the whole thing.

Past TV deals have seen the tail wagging the dog. Now football clubs feel they are equal partners with TV.

8) PHRASE: PHR after v, with PHR (emphasis) If you say that you have your tail between your legs, you are emphasizing that you feel defeated and ashamed.

His team retreated last night with tails tucked firmly between their legs.

9) PHRASE: V inflects If you turn tail, you turn and run away.

I turned tail and fled in the direction of the main house.

10) cannot make head or tail of something → see head

to top and tail → see top

Phrasal Verbs:

- tail away

- tail off

- tail back

- tail off