English▸ noun
1 the hindmost part of an animal, especially when prolonged beyond the rest of the body, such as the flexible extension of the backbone in a vertebrate, the feathers at the hind end of a bird, or a terminal appendage in an insect:
the dog's tail began to wag frantically.
2 a thing resembling an animal's tail in its shape or position, typically something extending downward or outward at the end of something:
the trailed tail of a capital Q
the cars were head to tail.
▪ the rear part of an airplane, with the horizontal stabilizer and rudder:
the fuselage tapers sharply toward the tail.
▪ the lower or hanging part of a garment, especially the back of a shirt or coat:
he stormed off, the tails of his jacket flapping behind him.
▪ (tails) informal a tailcoat; a man's formal evening suit with such a coat:
the men looked debonair in white tie and tails.
▪ the luminous trail of particles following a comet.
▪ the lower end of a pool or stream:
shallow riffles and the tails of pools are prime feeding areas.
▪ the exposed end of a slate or tile in a roof:
the slates are dressed with the beveled tail and edge characteristic of thick, square stone roofing.
3 the end of a long train or line of people or vehicles:
an armored truck at the tail of the convoy.
▪ [in singular] the final, more distant, or weaker part of something:
the forecast says we're in for the tail of a hurricane.
4 informal a person secretly following another to observe their movements:
I can't put a tail on him, I don't know where he's gone.
5 informal, mainly North American a person's buttocks:
fireworks followed when the coach kicked Ryan in his tail.
▪ vulgar slang a woman's genitals.
▪ informal women collectively regarded as a means of sexual gratification:
I was getting worried that both of us would be chasing tail and getting into trouble for the rest of our lives.
6 (tails) the reverse side of a coin (used when tossing a coin):
the chances of heads and tails in the long run are equal.
▸ verb [with object]
1 follow and observe (someone) closely, especially in secret:
a flock of paparazzi had tailed them all over Paris.
▪ [no object, with adverbial of direction] follow:
they went to their favorite cafe—Bill and Sally tailed along.
2 provide with a tail:
her calligraphy was topped by banners of black ink and tailed like the haunches of fabulous beasts
the eight main chapters are topped and tailed with an introduction and an epilogue.
– PHRASES
chase one's tail (also chase one's own tail) informal
rush around ineffectually:
following someone closely:
the less important or subsidiary factor, person, or thing dominates a situation; the usual roles are reversed:
in a state of dejection or humiliation:
chase one's tail (also chase one's own tail) informal
rush around ineffectually:
from continually chasing my tail and being late for everything, punctuality became second nature.
on someone's tail following someone closely:
a police car stayed on his tail for half a mile.
the tail wags the dog the less important or subsidiary factor, person, or thing dominates a situation; the usual roles are reversed:
the financing system is becoming the tail that wags the dog.
with one's tail between one's legs informal in a state of dejection or humiliation:
we took Lily in when she came back from London with her tail between her legs.
– PHRASAL VERBS
tail back British
(of traffic) become congested and form a long line of stationary or slow-moving vehicles:
gradually diminish in amount, strength, or intensity:
tail back British
(of traffic) become congested and form a long line of stationary or slow-moving vehicles:
traffic tailed back fourteen miles after a chemical spillage.
tail off (also tail away) gradually diminish in amount, strength, or intensity:
the economic boom was beginning to tail off.
– ORIGIN Old English tæg(e)l, from a Germanic base meaning ‘hair, hairy tail’; related to Middle Low German tagel ‘twisted whip, rope's end’. The early sense of the verb (early 16th century) was ‘fasten to the back of something’.