Tail
/teɪl/noun
The rear part of an animal's body, stands out from the rest of the body.
The dog wags its tail when it's happy.
Often appears as...
- wag the tail
- tail wagging
noun
The rear part of an aircraft, where the tail fin is.
The plane's tail hit the ground upon landing.
Often appears as...
- tail fin
- tail of the plane
Usage tips
Technical
noun
The back or end part of something.
She was at the tail of the line.
Often appears as...
- tail end
- tail light
noun
A person who is employed to follow and report on someone's movements and actions.
The detective was a tail for the suspect.
Often appears as...
- put a tail on someone
- lose a tail
Usage tips
Technical
verb
Follow and observe (someone) closely, especially in secret.
The detective was tailing the suspect.
Often appears as...
- tailing a suspect
- tailing a car
Usage tips
Technical
noun
The end part of a comet or other celestial body, made visible by solar radiation.
The comet's tail was visible from earth.
Often appears as...
- comet's tail
- tail of a comet
Usage tips
Technical
noun
The rear part of an animal's body, stands out from the rest of the body.
The dog wags its tail when it's happy.
Often appears as...
- wag the tail
- tail wagging
noun
The rear part of an aircraft, where the tail fin is.
The plane's tail hit the ground upon landing.
Often appears as...
- tail fin
- tail of the plane
Usage tips
Technical
noun
The back or end part of something.
She was at the tail of the line.
Often appears as...
- tail end
- tail light
noun
A person who is employed to follow and report on someone's movements and actions.
The detective was a tail for the suspect.
Often appears as...
- put a tail on someone
- lose a tail
Usage tips
Technical
verb
Follow and observe (someone) closely, especially in secret.
The detective was tailing the suspect.
Often appears as...
- tailing a suspect
- tailing a car
Usage tips
Technical
noun
The end part of a comet or other celestial body, made visible by solar radiation.
The comet's tail was visible from earth.
Often appears as...
- comet's tail
- tail of a comet
Usage tips
Technical
Definition 1 of 6
Pro Tip 1/3Animal Emotion
The tail often indicates an animal's emotional state or behavior.
A cat's tail might puff up when it's scared.
Pro Tip 2/3Not Just Length
'Tail' refers to the entire hind part, not just a long piece sticking out.
A rabbit has a short, fluffy tail.
Pro Tip 3/3Metaphorical Use
Sometimes 'tail' is used metaphorically in idioms and phrases.
He was 'tail between his legs' embarrassed.
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Video examples
Orcas Kill, But Not Just...
to hunt, replicating their parents maneuvers. They were also breaching up out of the water and tail slapping on the Steller sea lion, and this went on for for a good while. You can see that it was an instructional process. They were using the Steller sea lion as a teaching aid, and that was pretty uncomfortable to watch.
Video examples
Under the hood: The...
Lots of it. And while much of this heat escapes through the tail pipe, the heat that remains in the engine block needs to be absorbed, transported, and dissipated to protect the metal components from deforming or even melting. This is where the cooling system comes in. A liquid gets circulated throughout the engine,
Video examples
Elusive Marbled Cat...
domestic cat it has very distinct fur marks similar to a clouded leopard it's believed to spend most of its time up in trees using its tail which is nearly as long as its body for balance considered a vulnerable species the marbled cat is rarely seen by people and most images
Video examples
A whale saved my life PIPE...
pointed down like this and was arching and its tail was going from side to side instead of up and down. So I immediately knew it was the largest tiger shark I've ever seen in my life and I've spent my entire life underwater. and I've seen plenty of tiger sharks.
Video examples
Fred Jansen: How to land...
and haven't changed -- deep, frozen versions of our solar system. In the sky, they look like this. We know them for their tails. There are actually two tails. One is a dust tail, which is blown away by the solar wind.
Video examples
ONE HOUR Of Amazing...
have taken refuge close to the beach where the water is only a few centimeters deep tail slapping is a method dolphins often to stun their prey but it doesn't seem to work here
Video examples
Why I think inside the...
spitting clouds out of a Ganesh like trunk and her tail undulates through an analog mesh underworld catching on fire at the back of the volcano and terminating at a cycloptic
Video examples
ONE HOUR of Amazing...
is chased away with his tail between his legs a mud skipper a fish that spends most of its life out of the sea it can walk on land and breathe air
Video examples
Snow Leopard Hunting PIPE...
Her large paws give an excellent grip and that long tail helps her balance.
Video examples
BBC Earth 50 Top Natural...
a large pores give an excellent grip and that long tail helps her balance
Video examples
Orcas Kill, But Not Just...
to hunt, replicating their parents maneuvers. They were also breaching up out of the water and tail slapping on the Steller sea lion, and this went on for for a good while. You can see that it was an instructional process. They were using the Steller sea lion as a teaching aid, and that was pretty uncomfortable to watch.
Video examples
Under the hood: The...
Lots of it. And while much of this heat escapes through the tail pipe, the heat that remains in the engine block needs to be absorbed, transported, and dissipated to protect the metal components from deforming or even melting. This is where the cooling system comes in. A liquid gets circulated throughout the engine,
Video examples
Elusive Marbled Cat...
domestic cat it has very distinct fur marks similar to a clouded leopard it's believed to spend most of its time up in trees using its tail which is nearly as long as its body for balance considered a vulnerable species the marbled cat is rarely seen by people and most images
Video examples
A whale saved my life PIPE...
pointed down like this and was arching and its tail was going from side to side instead of up and down. So I immediately knew it was the largest tiger shark I've ever seen in my life and I've spent my entire life underwater. and I've seen plenty of tiger sharks.
Video examples
Fred Jansen: How to land...
and haven't changed -- deep, frozen versions of our solar system. In the sky, they look like this. We know them for their tails. There are actually two tails. One is a dust tail, which is blown away by the solar wind.
Video examples
ONE HOUR Of Amazing...
have taken refuge close to the beach where the water is only a few centimeters deep tail slapping is a method dolphins often to stun their prey but it doesn't seem to work here
Video examples
Why I think inside the...
spitting clouds out of a Ganesh like trunk and her tail undulates through an analog mesh underworld catching on fire at the back of the volcano and terminating at a cycloptic
Video examples
ONE HOUR of Amazing...
is chased away with his tail between his legs a mud skipper a fish that spends most of its life out of the sea it can walk on land and breathe air
Video examples
Snow Leopard Hunting PIPE...
Her large paws give an excellent grip and that long tail helps her balance.
Video examples
BBC Earth 50 Top Natural...
a large pores give an excellent grip and that long tail helps her balance
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Gloria Estefan
American Musician
All I tell artists is, 'Do what you love. Never let anybody talk you into changing what your musical idea is just to try to get a hit, because you're chasing your tail that way. It's not going to happen, and if you're successful, you have to do it the rest of your life. Stay true to it and do it for the sake of the art.
Quote examples
Jeff Bezos
American Businessman
What we need to do is always lean into the future; when the world changes around you and when it changes against you - what used to be a tail wind is now a head wind - you have to lean into that and figure out what to do because complaining isn't a strategy.
Quote examples
Jason Witten
American Football Player
My job is to be able to perform for three hours or three and a half hours every Sunday and I've got to work my tail off to get to the point where I can do it, and that's what motivates me.
Quote examples
Christopher A. Wray
American Public Servant
Our folks at the FBI and at DOJ are working their tails off every day to protect our nation's companies, our universities, our computer networks, and our ideas and innovation.
Quote examples
Andrew Ng
Chinese Scientist
There's a very long tail of all sorts of creative products - beyond our core web search, image search and advertising businesses - that are powered by deep learning.
Quote examples
Gabby Barrett
American Musician
I really respected women that could sing their tails off and entertain really well, so I wanted to get that across before I brought any of my own music into it.
Quote examples
Hack Wilson
American Athlete
There are many kids in and out of baseball who think that just because they have some natural talent, they have the world by the tail.
Quote examples
Adam Thielen
American Athlete
I really am genuinely happy for guys that get paid and have success when they actually work their tails off.
Quote examples
Ron Livingston
American Actor
I'm definitely guilty of turning tail and running in places in my life. It's the lack of courage, really.
Quote examples
Jameis Winston
American Athlete
Coach Koetter coaches his tail off, and he definitely supports me.
Quote examples
Gloria Estefan
American Musician
All I tell artists is, 'Do what you love. Never let anybody talk you into changing what your musical idea is just to try to get a hit, because you're chasing your tail that way. It's not going to happen, and if you're successful, you have to do it the rest of your life. Stay true to it and do it for the sake of the art.
Quote examples
Jeff Bezos
American Businessman
What we need to do is always lean into the future; when the world changes around you and when it changes against you - what used to be a tail wind is now a head wind - you have to lean into that and figure out what to do because complaining isn't a strategy.
Quote examples
Jason Witten
American Football Player
My job is to be able to perform for three hours or three and a half hours every Sunday and I've got to work my tail off to get to the point where I can do it, and that's what motivates me.
Quote examples
Christopher A. Wray
American Public Servant
Our folks at the FBI and at DOJ are working their tails off every day to protect our nation's companies, our universities, our computer networks, and our ideas and innovation.
Quote examples
Andrew Ng
Chinese Scientist
There's a very long tail of all sorts of creative products - beyond our core web search, image search and advertising businesses - that are powered by deep learning.
Quote examples
Gabby Barrett
American Musician
I really respected women that could sing their tails off and entertain really well, so I wanted to get that across before I brought any of my own music into it.
Quote examples
Hack Wilson
American Athlete
There are many kids in and out of baseball who think that just because they have some natural talent, they have the world by the tail.
Quote examples
Adam Thielen
American Athlete
I really am genuinely happy for guys that get paid and have success when they actually work their tails off.
Quote examples
Ron Livingston
American Actor
I'm definitely guilty of turning tail and running in places in my life. It's the lack of courage, really.
Quote examples
Jameis Winston
American Athlete
Coach Koetter coaches his tail off, and he definitely supports me.
Example 1 of 10
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