Tail end

Tail end
Tail Tail, n. [AS. t[ae]gel, t[ae]gl; akin to G. zagel, Icel. tagl, Sw. tagel, Goth. tagl hair. [root]59.] 1. (Zo["o]l.) The terminal, and usually flexible, posterior appendage of an animal. [1913 Webster]

Note: The tail of mammals and reptiles contains a series of movable vertebr[ae], and is covered with flesh and hairs or scales like those of other parts of the body. The tail of existing birds consists of several more or less consolidated vertebr[ae] which supports a fanlike group of quills to which the term tail is more particularly applied. The tail of fishes consists of the tapering hind portion of the body ending in a caudal fin. The term tail is sometimes applied to the entire abdomen of a crustacean or insect, and sometimes to the terminal piece or pygidium alone. [1913 Webster]

2. Any long, flexible terminal appendage; whatever resembles, in shape or position, the tail of an animal, as a catkin. [1913 Webster]

Doretus writes a great praise of the distilled waters of those tails that hang on willow trees. --Harvey. [1913 Webster]

3. Hence, the back, last, lower, or inferior part of anything, -- as opposed to the {head}, or the superior part. [1913 Webster]

The Lord will make thee the head, and not the tail. --Deut. xxviii. 13. [1913 Webster]

4. A train or company of attendants; a retinue. [1913 Webster]

``Ah,'' said he, ``if you saw but the chief with his tail on.'' --Sir W. Scott. [1913 Webster]

5. The side of a coin opposite to that which bears the head, effigy, or date; the reverse; -- rarely used except in the expression ``heads or tails,'' employed when a coin is thrown up for the purpose of deciding some point by its fall. [1913 Webster]

6. (Anat.) The distal tendon of a muscle. [1913 Webster]

7. (Bot.) A downy or feathery appendage to certain achenes. It is formed of the permanent elongated style. [1913 Webster]

8. (Surg.) (a) A portion of an incision, at its beginning or end, which does not go through the whole thickness of the skin, and is more painful than a complete incision; -- called also {tailing}. (b) One of the strips at the end of a bandage formed by splitting the bandage one or more times. [1913 Webster]

9. (Naut.) A rope spliced to the strap of a block, by which it may be lashed to anything. [1913 Webster]

10. (Mus.) The part of a note which runs perpendicularly upward or downward from the head; the stem. --Moore (Encyc. of Music). [1913 Webster]

11. pl. Same as {Tailing}, 4. [1913 Webster]

12. (Arch.) The bottom or lower portion of a member or part, as a slate or tile. [1913 Webster]

13. pl. (Mining) See {Tailing}, n., 5. [1913 Webster]

14. (Astronomy) the long visible stream of gases, ions, or dust particles extending from the head of a comet in the direction opposite to the sun. [PJC]

15. pl. (Rope Making) In some forms of rope-laying machine, pieces of rope attached to the iron bar passing through the grooven wooden top containing the strands, for wrapping around the rope to be laid. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

16. pl. A tailed coat; a tail coat. [Colloq. or Dial.] [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

17. (A["e]ronautics) In airplanes, an airfoil or group of airfoils used at the rear to confer stability. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

18. the buttocks. [slang or vulgar] [PJC]

19. sexual intercourse, or a woman used for sexual intercourse; as, to get some tail; to find a piece of tail. See also {tailing[3]}. [slang and vulgar] [PJC]

{Tail beam}. (Arch.) Same as {Tailpiece}.

{Tail coverts} (Zo["o]l.), the feathers which cover the bases of the tail quills. They are sometimes much longer than the quills, and form elegant plumes. Those above the quills are called the {upper tail coverts}, and those below, the {under tail coverts}.

{Tail end}, the latter end; the termination; as, the tail end of a contest. [Colloq.]

{Tail joist}. (Arch.) Same as {Tailpiece}.

{Tail of a comet} (Astron.), a luminous train extending from the nucleus or body, often to a great distance, and usually in a direction opposite to the sun.

{Tail of a gale} (Naut.), the latter part of it, when the wind has greatly abated. --Totten.

{Tail of a lock} (on a canal), the lower end, or entrance into the lower pond.

{Tail of the trenches} (Fort.), the post where the besiegers begin to break ground, and cover themselves from the fire of the place, in advancing the lines of approach.

{Tail spindle}, the spindle of the tailstock of a turning lathe; -- called also {dead spindle}.

{To turn tail}, to run away; to flee. [1913 Webster]

Would she turn tail to the heron, and fly quite out another way; but all was to return in a higher pitch. --Sir P. Sidney. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • tail end — tail′ end′ n. 1) rear end 2) the concluding or final part; tag end: the tail end of a lecture[/ex] • Etymology: 1375–1425 …   From formal English to slang

  • tail-end|er — «TAYL EHN duhr», noun. a person or thing at the tail end …   Useful english dictionary

  • Tail-end — is a cricket term used to indicate the last few positions in a team s batting order. All eleven players in the team must take a turn to bat even if they are specialist bowlers and cannot bat well. The non batsmen are generally termed tailenders… …   Wikipedia

  • tail end — n. 1. the rear or bottom end of anything 2. the concluding part of anything 3. Informal the buttocks …   English World dictionary

  • tail end — index extremity (furthest point) Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • tail end — ► NOUN ▪ the last or hindmost part of something, in particular the batting order in cricket …   English terms dictionary

  • tail end — noun 1. the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on he deserves a good kick in the butt are you going to sit on your fanny and do nothing? • Syn: ↑buttocks, ↑nates, ↑arse, ↑butt, ↑backside, ↑bum …   Useful english dictionary

  • tail end — also tail end N SING: usu N of n The tail end of an event, situation, or period of time is the last part of it. Barry had obviously come in on the tail end of the conversation... This is the tail end of the season …   English dictionary

  • tail\ end — • tag end • tail end noun informal the end, farthest to the rear, last in line, nearest the bottom, or least important. John was at the tail end of his class. Mary s part in the play came at the tag end, and she got bored waiting. Bill waited at… …   Словарь американских идиом

  • tail end — n. very end at the tail end (of smt.) * * * [ very end ] at the tail end (of smt.) …   Combinatory dictionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”