Definition

1. 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.

2. 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

1. the rear part of a ship
2. the rear part of an aircraft
3. (usually plural) the reverse side of a coin that does not bear the representation of a person's head
4. a spy employed to follow someone and report their movements
5. 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?
6. any projection that resembles the tail of an animal
7. the time of the last part of something
   • the fag end of this crisis-ridden century
   • the tail of the storm
8. the posterior part of the body of a vertebrate especially when elongated and extending beyond the trunk or main part of the body

Verb

1. remove the stalk of fruits or berries
2. remove or shorten the tail of an animal
3. go after with the intent to catch
   • The policeman chased the mugger down the alley
   • the dog chased the rabbit