tail
/teil/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun:
- The rear part of an animal's body: The flexible, often elongated, extension of the spine beyond the trunk, especially in vertebrates.
- A thing that resembles an animal's tail: Any long, thin, projecting part or extension.
- The rear or concluding part of something: The final, less important, or inferior section of a procession, storm, period of time, or group.
- A person employed to follow and observe someone: A detective or spy who secretly follows a person.
- The side of a coin opposite the head: The reverse side of a coin, typically not bearing a portrait.
Verb:
- To follow and observe someone closely and secretly: To shadow or trail a person.
- To remove the stalk or stem from a fruit: To detach the tail-like part of certain fruits.
- To diminish gradually; to dwindle: To become smaller, weaker, or less frequent.
Examples of Usage
Noun:
- The dog wagged its tail happily.
- The tail of the comet was visible for miles.
- He was at the tail of the long line of applicants.
- The company put a tail on the suspected industrial spy.
- She called heads, but the coin landed on tails.
Verb:
- The detective tailed the suspect for three blocks.
- Please tail the strawberries before adding them to the salad.
- His voice tailed off into a whisper as he lost confidence.
Advanced Usage
"to turn tail": To run away from danger or a confrontation; to flee.
- When they saw the police, the thieves turned tail and ran.
"to have one's tail between one's legs": To feel ashamed, defeated, or humiliated.
- After losing the argument, he left with his tail between his legs.
"on someone's tail": Following someone very closely, especially in pursuit.
- The police car was right on our tail.
Variants and Related Words
Tailed (adj): Having a tail or a specified kind of tail.
- The long-tailed monkey swung from the branch.
Tailcoat (n): A man's formal coat with a long skirt divided at the back into two tails.
- Tailgate (n/v): The door at the back of a truck or SUV / To drive too closely behind another vehicle.
- We loaded the furniture through the tailgate. (n)
- It's dangerous to tailgate on the highway. (v)
Synonyms
- Noun: Rear, end, appendage, conclusion, follower, shadow.
- Verb: Follow, shadow, trail, track, dwindle, diminish.
Related Phrasal Verbs
Tail away/off: To gradually decrease in amount, strength, or volume until stopping.
- The path tails off into the woods.
- The audience's interest tailed off during the long speech.
Tail back (UK): To form or cause to form a long line of slow-moving or stationary traffic.
- The traffic was tailing back for miles from the accident.
Related Idioms
Chase one's tail: To be very busy but achieve very little.
- I've been chasing my tail all day, but my inbox is still full.
The tail wagging the dog: A situation where a small or minor part controls the whole.
- Letting a single complaint dictate company policy is the tail wagging the dog.
Noun
- the rear part of a ship
- the rear part of an aircraft
- (usually plural) the reverse side of a coin that does not bear the representation of a person's head
- a spy employed to follow someone and report their movements
- the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on
- he deserves a good kick in the butt
- are you going to sit on your fanny and do nothing?
- any projection that resembles the tail of an animal
- the time of the last part of something
- the fag end of this crisis-ridden century
- the tail of the storm
- the posterior part of the body of a vertebrate especially when elongated and extending beyond the trunk or main part of the body
Verb
- remove the stalk of fruits or berries
- remove or shorten the tail of an animal
- go after with the intent to catch
- The policeman chased the mugger down the alley
- the dog chased the rabbit