/ ˈbɒbteɪl; NAmE ˈbɑːbteɪl/ noun
1.
a dog, cat or horse with a tail that has been cut short
2.
a tail that has been cut short
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WORD ORIGIN
mid 16th cent.: probably from bob the short hairstyle + tail . It was originally recorded as a humorous term for a kind of broad-headed arrow, probably because it looked as though it had been cut short.