TAIL

I. noun Usage: often attributive Etymology: Middle English, from Old English tægel; akin to Old High German zagal ~, Middle Irish dúal lock of hair Date: before 12th century the rear end or a process or prolongation of the rear end of the body of an animal, something resembling an animal's ~ in shape or position: as, a luminous stream of particles, gases, or ions extending from a comet especially in the antisolar direction, the rear part of an airplane consisting usually of horizontal and vertical stabilizing surfaces with attached control surfaces, retinue , 4. plural ~coat , full evening dress for men, 5. buttocks, butt , sexual intercourse , the back, last, lower, or inferior part of something, ~ing 1, the reverse of a coin, one (as a detective) who follows or keeps watch on someone, the blank space at the bottom of a page, a location immediately or not far behind , ~ed adjective ~less adjective ~like adjective II. verb Date: 1523 transitive verb to connect end to end, 2. to remove the ~ of (an animal) ; dock , to remove the stem or bottom part of , 3. to make or furnish with a ~, to follow or be drawn behind like a ~, to follow for purposes of surveillance, intransitive verb to form or move in a straggling line, to grow progressively smaller, fainter, or more scattered ; abate , to swing or lie with the stern in a named direction, tag II, ~er noun III. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from ~ler Date: 14th century en~ 1a, IV. adjective see: ~or Date: 15th century limited as to tenure ; en~ed