Idioms for tail

    turn tail,
    1. to turn one's back on, as in aversion or fright.
    2. to run away from difficulty, opposition, etc.; flee: The sight of superior forces made the attackers turn tail.
    with one's tail between one's legs, utterly humiliated; defeated; cowed: They were forced to retreat with their tails between their legs.

Origin of tail

1
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

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH tail

tail tale

Definition for tail (2 of 2)

tail 2
[ teyl ]
/ teɪl /
Law.

noun

the limitation of an estate to a person and the person’s heirs or some particular class of such heirs.

adjective

limited to a specified line of heirs; entailed.

Origin of tail

2
1200–50; (noun) Middle English taille < Old French, derivative of taillier to cut < Late Latin tāliāre (see tailor1); (adj.) late Middle English taille < Anglo-French tailé cut, shaped, limited, past participle of tailler

OTHER WORDS FROM tail

tail·less, adjective

Example sentences from the Web for tail

British Dictionary definitions for tail (1 of 2)

tail 1
/ (teɪl) /

noun

verb

See also tail off, tail out, tails

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 tail (2 of 2)

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 tail

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 tail

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 tail

tail