TAIL

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does tail mean? 

• TAIL (noun)
  The noun TAIL has 8 senses:

1. the posterior part of the body of a vertebrate especially when elongated and extending beyond the trunk or main part of the body

2. the time of the last part of something

3. any projection that resembles the tail of an animal

4. the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on

5. a spy employed to follow someone and report their movements

6. (usually plural) the reverse side of a coin that does not bear the representation of a person's head

7. the rear part of an aircraft

8. the rear part of a ship

  Familiarity information: TAIL used as a noun is common.

• TAIL (verb)
  The verb TAIL has 3 senses:

1. go after with the intent to catch

2. remove or shorten the tail of an animal

3. remove the stalk of fruits or berries

  Familiarity information: TAIL used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• TAIL (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The posterior part of the body of a vertebrate especially when elongated and extending beyond the trunk or main part of the body

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Hypernyms ("tail" is a kind of...):

appendage; outgrowth; process (a natural prolongation or projection from a part of an organism either animal or plant)

Meronyms (parts of "tail"):

dock (the solid bony part of the tail of an animal as distinguished from the hair)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "tail"):

rattle (loosely connected horny sections at the end of a rattlesnake's tail)

flag (a conspicuously marked or shaped tail)

scut (a short erect tail)

fluke (either of the two lobes of the tail of a cetacean)

oxtail (the skinned tail of cattle; used especially for soups)

uropygium (posterior part of a bird's body from which the tail feathers grow)

caudal appendage (tail especially of a mammal posterior to and above the anus)

bob; bobtail; dock (a short or shortened tail of certain animals)

brush (a bushy tail or part of a bushy tail (especially of the fox))

Holonyms ("tail" is a part of...):

craniate; vertebrate (animals having a bony or cartilaginous skeleton with a segmented spinal column and a large brain enclosed in a skull or cranium)

Derivation:

tail (remove or shorten the tail of an animal)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The time of the last part of something

Classified under:

Nouns denoting time and temporal relations

Synonyms:

fag end; tail; tail end

Context example:

the tail of the storm

Hypernyms ("tail" is a kind of...):

end; ending (the point in time at which something ends)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Any projection that resembles the tail of an animal

Classified under:

Nouns denoting two and three dimensional shapes

Synonyms:

tail; tail end

Hypernyms ("tail" is a kind of...):

projection (any solid convex shape that juts out from something)

Sense 4

Meaning:

The fleshy part of the human body that you sit on

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Synonyms:

arse; ass; backside; behind; bottom; bum; buns; butt; buttocks; can; derriere; fanny; fundament; hind end; hindquarters; keister; nates; posterior; prat; rear; rear end; rump; seat; stern; tail; tail end; tooshie; tush

Context example:

are you going to sit on your fanny and do nothing?

Hypernyms ("tail" is a kind of...):

body part (any part of an organism such as an organ or extremity)

Holonyms ("tail" is a part of...):

body; torso; trunk (the body excluding the head and neck and limbs)

Sense 5

Meaning:

A spy employed to follow someone and report their movements

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

shadow; shadower; tail

Hypernyms ("tail" is a kind of...):

spy (a secret watcher; someone who secretly watches other people)

follower (someone who travels behind or pursues another)

Derivation:

tail (go after with the intent to catch)

Sense 6

Meaning:

(usually plural) the reverse side of a coin that does not bear the representation of a person's head

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("tail" is a kind of...):

reverse; verso (the side of a coin or medal that does not bear the principal design)

Domain usage:

plural; plural form (the form of a word that is used to denote more than one)

Holonyms ("tail" is a part of...):

coin (a flat metal piece (usually a disc) used as money)

Antonym:

head ((usually plural) the obverse side of a coin that usually bears the representation of a person's head)

Sense 7

Meaning:

The rear part of an aircraft

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

empennage; tail; tail assembly

Hypernyms ("tail" is a kind of...):

back; rear (the side that goes last or is not normally seen)

Meronyms (parts of "tail"):

stabilizer (airfoil consisting of a device for stabilizing an aircraft)

vertical tail (the vertical airfoil in the tail assembly of an aircraft)

horizontal tail (the horizontal stabilizer and elevator in the tail assembly of an aircraft)

Holonyms ("tail" is a part of...):

fuselage (the central body of an airplane that is designed to accommodate the crew and passengers (or cargo))

Sense 8

Meaning:

The rear part of a ship

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

after part; poop; quarter; stern; tail

Hypernyms ("tail" is a kind of...):

back; rear (the side that goes last or is not normally seen)

Meronyms (parts of "tail"):

escutcheon ((nautical) a plate on a ship's stern on which the name is inscribed)

skeg (a brace that extends from the rear of the keel to support the rudderpost)

Holonyms ("tail" is a part of...):

ship (a vessel that carries passengers or freight)

• TAIL (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they tail    ... he / she / it tails   
Past simple: tailed   
Past participle: tailed   
-ing form: tailing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Go after with the intent to catch

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

chase; chase after; dog; give chase; go after; tag; tail; track; trail

Context example:

the dog chased the rabbit

Hypernyms (to "tail" is one way to...):

follow; pursue (follow in or as if in pursuit)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "tail"):

tree (chase an animal up a tree)

quest (search the trail of (game))

hound; hunt; trace (pursue or chase relentlessly)

run down (pursue until captured)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Sentence example:

Sam cannot tail Sue

Derivation:

tail (a spy employed to follow someone and report their movements)

tailing (the act of following someone secretly)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Remove or shorten the tail of an animal

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

bob; dock; tail

Hypernyms (to "tail" is one way to...):

cut (separate with or as if with an instrument)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

tail (the posterior part of the body of a vertebrate especially when elongated and extending beyond the trunk or main part of the body)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Remove the stalk of fruits or berries

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "tail" is one way to...):

pinch; top (cut the top off)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

 Context examples 

It means that I can make neither head nor tail of it.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I can make neither head nor tail of the business.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“I can't make head or tail of this,” said Dr. Livesey.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

So he sprang into the water, and the Tin Woodman caught fast hold of his tail.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

But the arrow did the bird no harm; only it dropped a golden feather from its tail, and then flew away.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

“Whist, mother,” said John, looking back at her from the tail of his eye, “I go to France as an archer to give blows and to take them.”

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

"Look at 'm wag his tail!"

(White Fang, by Jack London)

It stood crouched, with tail between its legs, like a miserable and woe-begone dog.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

But what I can’t make head or tail of, Mr. Holmes, is how on earth you got yourself mixed up in the matter.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

This area contains a large number of mitochondria that produce energy to power the tail.

(Body of the Spermatozoon, NCI Thesaurus)