swallow-tailed

[ swol-oh-teyld ]

/ ˈswɒl oʊˌteɪld /

having a deeply forked tail like that of a swallow, as various birds.

having an end or part suggesting a swallow's tail.

(of a flag) having a triangular indentation in the fly so as to create two tails.

Origin of swallow-tailed

First recorded in 1690–1700

"A swallow-tailed kite," Knight said as the bird dropped suddenly into clearer view.

Blue Bonnet's Ranch Party |C. E. Jacobs
The smallest details were visible—the turrets, the terraces, the windows, and even the swallow-tailed vanes.

A History of the French Novel, Vol. 2 |George Saintsbury
As Jack stepped into the open air he peeled off his swallow-tailed coat and threw it over Ted's arm.

Ted Strong's Motor Car |Edward C. Taylor
The antics of the Swallow-tailed Kite during the mating season are particularly interesting.

Birds and Nature, Vol. 12 No. 1 [June 1902] |Various

And this shows us how a swallow-tailed breed, like that described by Bechstein, might have been formed by careful selection.

The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication, Vol. I. |Charles Darwin

swallow-tailed

(of a bird) having a deeply forked tail

having a part resembling a swallow's tail