tailing

[ tey-ling ]

/ ˈteɪ lɪŋ /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR tailing ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the part of a projecting stone or brick tailed or inserted in a wall.

tailings,

Building Trades. gravel, aggregate, etc., failing to pass through a given screen.
the residue of any product, as in mining; leavings.

Origin of tailing

First recorded in 1640–50; tail¹ + -ing¹

Words nearby tailing

tailed, tailed frog, tailfirst, tailgate, tailgater, tailing, tailings, taille, tailleferre, tailleur, taillight

Definition for tailing (2 of 2)

tail ¹

[ teyl ]

/ teɪl /

noun

the hindmost part of an animal, especially that forming a distinct, flexible appendage to the trunk.

something resembling or suggesting this in shape or position: the tail of a kite.

Astronomy. the luminous stream extending from the head of a comet.

the reverse of a coin (opposed to head).

Aeronautics. the after portion of an airplane or the like.

tails,

tail coat.
the tapering skirts or ends at the back of a coat, especially a tail coat.
men's full-dress attire.
Distilling. alcohol obtained in the final distillation.Compare head(def 22).

Slang. the buttocks or rump.

Informal. a person who trails or keeps a close surveillance of another, as a detective or spy: The police decided to put a tail on the suspect.

Informal. the trail of a fleeing person or animal: They put a detective on his tail.

Slang: Vulgar.

sexual intercourse.
Usually Disparaging and Offensive. a woman considered as a sex object.

the hinder, bottom, or end part of anything; the rear.

a final or concluding part of a sentence, conversation, social gathering, etc.; conclusion; end: The tail of the speech was boring. Toward the tail of the concert I'd begun to get tired.

the inferior or unwanted part of anything.

a long braid or tress of hair.

an arrangement of objects or persons extending as or as if a tail.

a line of persons awaiting their turns at something; queue.

a retinue; train.

the lower part of a pool or stream.

the exposed portion of a piece of roofing, as a slate.

Printing, Bookbinding. the bottom of a page or book.

Printing. the lower portion of a type, as of g, y, or Q.

adjective

coming from behind: a tail breeze.

being in the back or rear: the tail section of a plane.

verb (used with object)

Informal. to follow in order to hinder escape of or to observe: to tail a suspect.

to form or furnish with a tail.

to form or constitute the tail or end of (a procession, retinue, etc.).

to terminate; come after or behind; follow like a tail.

to join or attach (one thing) at the tail or end of another.

Building Trades. to fasten (a beam, stone, etc.) by one end (usually followed by in or into).

to dock the tail of (a horse, dog, etc.).

verb (used without object)

to follow close behind: She always tails after her sister.

to disappear gradually or merge into: The path tails off into the woods.

to form, or move or pass in, a line or column suggestive of a tail: The hikers tailed up the narrow path.

(of a boat) to have or take a position with the stern in a particular direction.

Building Trades. (of a beam, stone, etc.) to be fastened by one end (usually followed by in or into).

Origin of tail

before 900; Middle English; Old English tægl; cognate with Old Norse tagl horse's tail, Gothic tagl hair, Middle High German zagel tail, Middle Low German tagel rope-end

usage note for tail

The meanings “sexual intercourse” and “female sexual partner” are both vulgar slang. When referring to a person, the term tail is usually used with disparaging intent and perceived as insulting.

OTHER WORDS FROM tail

tail·er, noun tail·less, adjective tail·less·ly, adverb tail·less·ness, noun

tail·like, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH tail

tail tale

Example sentences from the Web for tailing

Katy Perry was admonished for dressing up as an angel while tailing her grandmother to an event.

Melissa Rivers: Life After Joan—A Funny, Moving Celebration on a Special 'Fashion Police' |Tim Teeman |September 20, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The great irony is when we start to discuss the tailing ponds.

Our Trip to The Climate War's Ground Zero |Darren Aronofsky |September 19, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The result, as George Washington University law professor Orin Kerr puts it, is “the digital equivalent of tailing a suspect.”

Welcome to the Age of Unlimited Government! |Nick Gillespie |October 1, 2013 |DAILY BEAST
Rotten cold it was, too, and me tailing on like a blamed chaperon!

The Crevice |William John Burns and Isabel Ostrander

There had been an ice carnival, and the last party, tailing up the snow-slope to the hotel, called him.

Four Weird Tales |Algernon Blackwood
I had done a fine job of tailing and I wanted someone to pin a leather medal on me.

Highways in Hiding |George Oliver Smith
We are like a comet, bright at the head but tailing away into mere gas behind.

The Stark Munro Letters |J. Stark Munro
But the mysterious stranger was too quick for him, and when Tailing leapt to his feet he was alone.

The Daffodil Mystery |Edgar Wallace

British Dictionary definitions for tailing (1 of 3)

tailing

/ (ˈteɪlɪŋ) /

noun

the part of a beam, rafter, projecting brick or stone, etc, embedded in a wall

British Dictionary definitions for tailing (2 of 3)

tail ¹

/ (teɪl) /

noun

the region of the vertebrate body that is posterior to or above the anus and contains an elongation of the vertebral column, esp forming a flexible movable appendage Related adjective: caudal

anything resembling such an appendage in form or position; the bottom, lowest, or rear part the tail of a shirt

the last part or parts the tail of the storm

the rear part of an aircraft including the fin, tailplane, and control surfaces; empennage

astronomy the luminous stream of gas and dust particles, up to 200 million kilometres long, driven from the head of a comet, when close to the sun, under the effect of the solar wind and light pressure

the rear portion of a bomb, rocket, missile, etc, usually fitted with guiding or stabilizing vanes

a line of people or things

a long braid or tress of hair a ponytail; a pigtail

Also called: tailfly angling the lowest fly on a wet-fly cast

a final short line in a stanza

informal a person employed to follow and spy upon another or others

an informal word for buttocks See buttock

taboo, slang

the female genitals
a woman considered sexually (esp in the phrases piece of tail, bit of tail)

printing

the margin at the foot of a page
the bottom edge of a book

the lower end of a pool or part of a stream

informal the course or track of a fleeing person or animal the police are on my tail

(modifier) coming from or situated in the rear a tail wind

turn tail to run away; escape

with one's tail between one's legs in a state of utter defeat or confusion

verb

to form or cause to form the tail

to remove the tail of (an animal); dock

(tr) to remove the stalk of to top and tail the gooseberries

(tr) to connect (objects, ideas, etc) together by or as if by the tail

(tr) informal to follow stealthily

(tr) Australian to tend (cattle) on foot

(intr) (of a vessel) to assume a specified position, as when at a mooring

to build the end of (a brick, joist, etc) into a wall or (of a brick, etc) to have one end built into a wall

Derived forms of tail

tailless, adjective taillessly, adverb taillessness, noun tail-like, adjective

Word Origin for tail

Old English tægel; related to Old Norse tagl horse's tail, Gothic tagl hair, Old High German zagal tail

British Dictionary definitions for tailing (3 of 3)

tail ²

/ (teɪl) property law /

noun

the limitation of an estate or interest to a person and the heirs of his body See also entail

adjective

(immediately postpositive) (of an estate or interest) limited in this way

Derived forms of tail

tailless, adjective

Word Origin for tail

C15: from Old French taille a division; see tailor, tally

Medical definitions for tailing

tail

[ tāl ]

n.

The posterior part of an animal, especially when elongated and extending beyond the trunk or main part of the body.

Scientific definitions for tailing

tail

[ tāl ]

The rear, elongated part of many animals, extending beyond the trunk or main part of the body. Tails are used variously for balance, combat, communication, mating displays, fat storage, propulsion and course correction in water, and course correction in air.

A long, stream of gas or dust forced from the head of a comet when it is close to the Sun. Tails can be up to 150 million km (93 million miles) long, and they always point away from the Sun because of the force of the solar wind.♦ Plasma tails, or ion tails, appear bluish and straight and narrow, and are formed when solar wind forces ionized gas to stream off the coma. Dust tails are wide and curved, and are formed when solar heat forces trails of dust off the coma; solid particles reflecting the Sun's light create their bright yellow color.

Idioms and Phrases with tailing

tail

In addition to the idioms beginning with tail

tail between one's legs, with one's
tail end
tail off
tail wagging the dog, the

also see:

bright-eyed and bushy-tailed
can't make head or tail of
get off one's tail
heads or tails
in two shakes (of a lamb's tail)
on someone's coattails
tiger by the tail
turn tail
work one's fingers to the bone (tail off)

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

tailing

noun

Origin of tailing

Words nearby tailing

Definition for tailing (2 of 2)

noun

adjective

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

Origin of tail

usage note for tail

OTHER WORDS FROM tail

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH tail

Example sentences from the Web for tailing

British Dictionary definitions for tailing (1 of 3)

noun

British Dictionary definitions for tailing (2 of 3)

noun

verb

Derived forms of tail

Word Origin for tail

British Dictionary definitions for tailing (3 of 3)

noun

adjective

Derived forms of tail

Word Origin for tail

Medical definitions for tailing

n.

Scientific definitions for tailing

Idioms and Phrases with tailing

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

tailing

noun

Origin of tailing

Words nearby tailing

Definition for tailing (2 of 2)

noun

adjective

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

Origin of tail

usage note for tail

OTHER WORDS FROM tail

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH tail

Words related to tailing

Example sentences from the Web for tailing

British Dictionary definitions for tailing (1 of 3)

noun

British Dictionary definitions for tailing (2 of 3)

noun

verb

Derived forms of tail

Word Origin for tail

British Dictionary definitions for tailing (3 of 3)

noun

adjective

Derived forms of tail

Word Origin for tail

Medical definitions for tailing

n.

Scientific definitions for tailing

Idioms and Phrases with tailing