1 N‑COUNT The tail of an animal, bird, or fish is the part extending beyond the end of its body. □ …a black dog with a long tail. ● -tailed COMB □ …white-tailed deer.
2 N‑COUNT You can use tail to refer to the end or back of something, especially something long and thin. □ …the horizontal stabilizer bar on the plane's tail.
3 N‑PLURAL If a man is wearing tails , he is wearing a formal jacket which has two long pieces hanging down at the back.
4 VERB To tail someone means to follow close behind them and watch where they go and what they do. [INFORMAL ] □ [V n] Officers had tailed the gang from London during a major undercover inquiry. □ [have n V -ed] He trusted her so little that he had her tailed.
5 ADV [ADV after v] If you toss a coin and it comes down tails , you can see the side of it that does not have a picture of a head on it.
6 PHRASE If you say that you have your tail between your legs , you are emphasizing that you feel defeated and ashamed. [EMPHASIS ] □ His team retreated last night with tails tucked firmly between their legs.
7 cannot make head or tail of something → see head
▸ tail away or tail off PHRASAL VERB When a person's voice tails away or tails off , it gradually becomes quieter and then silent. □ [V P ] His voice tailed away in the bitter cold air.
▸ tail off
1 PHRASAL VERB When something tails off , it gradually becomes less in amount or value, often before coming to an end completely. □ [V P ] Last year, economic growth tailed off to below four percent.
2 → see also tail away
tail|back /te I lbæk/ (tailbacks ) N‑COUNT A tailback is a long line of traffic stretching back along a road, which moves very slowly or not at all, for example because of road works or an accident. [BRIT ] □ The flooding led to six-mile tailbacks between west London and Heathrow Airport. in AM, use backup
tail|coat /te I lkoʊt/ (tailcoats ) also tail coat N‑COUNT A tailcoat is a man's coat which is short at the front with long pieces at the back. Tailcoats were popular in the 19th century and are now worn only for very formal occasions, such as weddings.
tai l e nd also tail-end N‑SING The tail end of an event, situation, or period of time is the last part of it. □ [+ of ] Barry had obviously come in on the tail-end of the conversation.
tail|gate /te I lge I t/ (tailgates , tailgating , tailgated )
1 N‑COUNT A tailgate is a door at the back of a truck or car, that is hinged at the bottom so that it opens downwards.
2 VERB If you tailgate someone, you drive very closely behind them. □ [V n] Perhaps the fact that the car was tailgating him made him accelerate. □ [V ] Police pulled him over doing 120km/h, making rapid changes and tailgating.
tai l-light (tail-lights ) also taillight N‑COUNT The tail-lights on a car or other vehicle are the two red lights at the back.
tai|lor /te I lə r / (tailors , tailoring , tailored )
1 N‑COUNT A tailor is a person whose job is to make men's clothes.
2 VERB If you tailor something such as a plan or system to someone's needs, you make it suitable for a particular person or purpose by changing the details of it. □ [V n + to ] We can tailor the program to the patient's needs. [Also V n]
tai|lored /te I lə r d/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Tailored clothes are designed to fit close to the body, rather than being loose. □ …a white tailored shirt.
tai lor-ma de
1 ADJ If something is tailor-made , it has been specially designed for a particular person or purpose. □ Each client's portfolio is tailor-made.
2 ADJ If you say that someone or something is tailor-made for a particular task, purpose, or need, you are emphasizing that they are perfectly suitable for it. [EMPHASIS ] □ [+ for ] He was tailor-made, it was said, for the task ahead.
3 ADJ Tailor-made clothes have been specially made to fit a particular person. □ He was wearing a tweed suit that looked tailor-made.
tai lor-ma ke (tailor-makes , tailor-making , tailor-made )
1 VERB If someone tailor-makes something for you, they make or design it to suit your requirements. □ [V n] The company can tailor-make your entire holiday.
2 → see also tailor-made
tail|pipe /te I pa I p/ (tailpipes ) N‑COUNT A tailpipe is the end pipe of a car's exhaust system. [AM ]
tail|wind /te I lw I nd/ (tailwinds ) also tail wind N‑COUNT A tailwind is a wind that is blowing from behind an aeroplane, boat, or other vehicle, making it move faster.
taint /te I nt/ (taints , tainting , tainted )
1 VERB If a person or thing is tainted by something bad or undesirable, their status or reputation is harmed because they are associated with it. □ [be V -ed] Opposition leaders said that the elections had been tainted by corruption. □ [V n] …a series of political scandals that has tainted the political stars of a generation. ● taint|ed ADJ □ This is a world where the word 'liberty' has become a little tainted.
2 N‑COUNT [usu sing] A taint is an undesirable quality which spoils the status or reputation of someone or something. □ [+ of ] Her government never really shook off the taint of corruption.