shirttail

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Explanation of "Shirttail"

Definition: The word "shirttail" has two main meanings:

Usage Instructions:

• Fabric Meaning: You can use "shirttail" when talking about clothing, especially when discussing how a shirt fits or looks.
• Article Meaning: Use "shirttail" when discussing newspapers or articles, especially if you want to refer to extra information provided at the end.

Example Sentences:

1. Fabric Meaning: "He tucked in his shirt, but the shirttail still peeked out at the back."
2. Article Meaning: "The reporter added a shirttail to the article, explaining the background of the topic."

Advanced Usage:

In more advanced contexts, you might hear "shirttail" used metaphorically to describe something that is added on but not central to the main subject. For example: "The conference included a shirttail discussion about future projects."

Word Variants:

• Shirttails (plural): Referring to multiple shirts' tails or multiple instances of the journalistic usage.
• Shirt (root word): The basic garment to which "shirttail" refers.

Different Meanings:

• Clothing Context: Focuses on the physical part of a shirt.
• Journalistic Context: Focuses on additional information in writing.

Synonyms:

• For the fabric meaning: Tail, hem
• For the article meaning: Addendum, footnote

Related Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• There are no specific idioms or phrasal verbs that include "shirttail," but you might hear phrases like "keep your shirttail tucked in," meaning to maintain a neat appearance.

Summary:

"Shirttail" can refer to both a part of a shirt and a brief addition to an article.

Academic

Noun

1. fabric forming the tail of a shirt
2. a brief addendum at the end of a newspaper article