tail

tail1 [ teıl ] noun **

▸ 1 back part

▸ 2 someone following someone

▸ 3 side of coin

▸ 4 bottom of shirt

▸ 5 man's formal jacket

▸ + PHRASES

1. ) count a part at the back of an animal's body that can move:

The animal sprays liquid from a gland under its tail.

the bright tail feathers of a peacock

a ) the back part of an airplane

b ) the back part of something that is long or that consists of many parts:

the tail of a comet

He was at the tail of the queue.

2. ) count INFORMAL someone who is sent to secretly follow someone else, especially a criminal

3. ) tails uncount the side of a coin that does not have a picture of a person on it

─ opposite HEADS

4. ) count the bottom part of your shirt that you put inside your pants

5. ) tails plural a man's formal jacket that is short at the front and has two long pointed parts that hang down at the back:

He wore a top hat and tails.

the tail wagging the dog INFORMAL

used for saying that a situation is stupid because something important is being decided or controlled by something less important

turn tail

to run away from a dangerous situation

with your tail between your legs INFORMAL

ashamed or upset because you have been defeated

tail

tail 2 [ teıl ] verb

transitive to follow someone secretly to see what they are going to do

,tail a`way phrasal verb intransitive

same as TAIL OFF

,tail `off phrasal verb intransitive

tail off or tail away to become quieter, weaker, or smaller:

Her voice tailed off.