tail
/teɪl/ (bre, ipa) · /teɪl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈtāl/ (ame, mw)
tail — noun
- tailsingular
- tailsplural
1. the long narrow appendage that grows from the hind section of a creature, servin
the long narrow appendage that grows from the hind section of a creature, serving purposes such as communication, maintaining balance, or steering
The dog wagged her tail when Rohan walked through the door.
wag + tail for happiness
A cat uses its long tail to keep balance when it jumps between walls.
tail for balance
The peacock spread its colourful tail feathers to attract a mate in the park.
Lien spotted a rabbit with a small white tail disappear into the bushes.
用法筆記
Often used in expressions involving animal behaviour — 'wag its tail' (happiness), 'tuck its tail' (fear), 'swish its tail' (irritation).
常見錯誤
2. an individual employed to observe someone's comings and goings without their kno
an individual employed to observe someone's comings and goings without their knowledge, often for police or investigative purposes
The detective put a tail on the suspect after getting a tip from an informant.
put a tail on someone — assign surveillance
Yara noticed a tail following her car as she drove through the city centre.
The agency assigned two tails to watch the warehouse entrance all night.
Lucía spotted a tail parked across the street from her apartment building.
用法筆記
Frequently used in crime or espionage contexts. The collocation 'put a tail on someone' means to assign someone to follow that person.
3. the face of a coin bearing a number or symbol rather than a person's portrait, u
the face of a coin bearing a number or symbol rather than a person's portrait, used as one of two possible results in a coin toss
Esme flipped a coin and called tails before it hit the ground.
call tails — predict the outcome in coin toss
Heads or tails — you choose, and the winner buys coffee.
The coin landed on tails three times in a row, which seemed unlikely.
Layla bet on tails and won enough money to buy ice cream for everyone.
- reverse
formal term for the back side of a coin, medal, or flag.
- heads
the side of a coin showing a portrait.
用法筆記
Almost always used in the fixed pair 'heads or tails' when tossing a coin to decide something. 'Tails' can be treated as either singular or plural.
4. the last or rearmost part of something, such as a line of people, a vehicle, a p
the last or rearmost part of something, such as a line of people, a vehicle, a procession, or a period of time
Liam stood at the tail of the long queue outside the concert hall.
tail of the queue — very back of a line
The tail of the storm brought heavy rain to the coastal towns.
Naoko could see the tail of the ship disappearing into the evening fog.
The tail of the parade featured children waving flags and blowing whistles.
用法筆記
When used to mean 'the last part of a period of time', it is commonly found in phrases like 'the tail end of the week' or 'the tail end of the meeting'.
5. a man's formal jacket with a short front and two long pieces of material hanging
a man's formal jacket with a short front and two long pieces of material hanging from the back, typically worn to weddings, galas, or state dinners
William wore a white tie and tails to the state dinner at the palace.
wore tails — formal dress code
The orchestra conductor stepped onto the stage in a crisp black tailcoat.
Renting tails for the gala cost more than Christopher had expected.
The bride's father stood at the altar looking elegant in his grey tails.
- tailcoat
the full formal name for the jacket itself.
用法筆記
Often used in the plural form 'tails' to refer to the complete outfit including the tailcoat. 'White tie and tails' is the most formal Western dress code.
6. the round, soft area on which a person sits, located at the lower back of the bo
the round, soft area on which a person sits, located at the lower back of the body
Ryan slipped on the wet floor and landed right on his tail.
Mira told the toddler to sit on her tail and wait for dinner.
sit on your tail — informal for sit down
Kenji got a bruise on his tail after falling off his bicycle.
His father gave him a gentle tap on the tail to hurry him up the stairs.
用法筆記
Informal and slightly childish or playful. Considered less vulgar than slang terms but not appropriate for formal or medical writing. 'Backside' is a neutral alternative.
7. in grammar, a short expression placed after a statement that repeats or refers t
in grammar, a short expression placed after a statement that repeats or refers to earlier information, as in 'It's cold, isn't it?'
In spoken English, tag questions like "aren't you" are a common type of tail.
Linguists call a short phrase at the end of a statement a tail when it repeats the subject.
tail in grammar as a sentence-final phrase
Sari used the tail "right" at the end of her sentence to check for agreement.
In some dialects, speakers add the tail "eh" to turn a statement into a question.
- tag question
a specific type of tail — a question added to the end of a statement.
用法筆記
This is a technical term in linguistics and grammar study. The most common tails in English are tag questions ('isn't it?', 'won't you?') and fixed phrases like 'right?' or 'okay?'.
8. the group of batters who bat at the lowest positions in a cricket team's batting
the group of batters who bat at the lowest positions in a cricket team's batting order, usually consisting of less experienced or less skilled players
The tail collapsed quickly, and the team was all out for a low score.
the tail — collective term for lower-order batters
Ravindra was promoted up the order because the tail had failed in the previous match.
A strong tail can add fifty valuable runs in the final innings of a test match.
The team's tail managed to survive the last ten overs and save the match.
- lower order
the more formal term for the same group of batters.
- tailenders
individual batters who bat in the tail positions.
- top order
the first batters in the batting order, typically the most skilled.
用法筆記
Always used with the definite article ('the tail') when referring to the group of batters. Individual batters in this group are called 'tailenders'.
tail — verb
- tailpresent simple I / you / we / they
- tails3rd person singular
- tailing-ing form
- tailedpast simple
1. to track a person's movements stealthily, typically as a detective or investigat
to track a person's movements stealthily, typically as a detective or investigator trying to gather evidence
The private detective tailed the businessman for three days across the city.
tail + person as direct object
A plainclothes officer tailed the suspect from the train station to the hotel lobby.
Ravindra realised someone had been tailing his car since he left the office.
The undercover agent tailed the group through narrow streets without being seen.
文法句型
tail + person
用法筆記
Used in detective fiction and crime reports. 'Tail' emphasizes stealthy, continuous following — not a casual or brief look. The passive form ('be tailed') is common in news reports.
常見錯誤
2. to cut off the end part of a fruit, vegetable, or a creature's rear extension as
to cut off the end part of a fruit, vegetable, or a creature's rear extension as part of cooking preparation or animal care
Isabela tailed the strawberries before adding them to the fruit salad.
tail + fruit for removing the stem/end
The farmer tailed the lambs shortly after they were born.
The okra was tailed before being added to the stew.
The kitchen assistant spent the afternoon tailing rhubarb for the pie filling.
文法句型
tail + noun
用法筆記
More common in British English for fruit/vegetable preparation. For animal tail removal, 'dock' is the more standard term.
tail — adjective
- tailpositive
- tailercomparative
- tailestsuperlative
1. relating to a legal arrangement that limits the inheritance of land or property
relating to a legal arrangement that limits the inheritance of land or property to a specific person or group, so that it cannot be sold freely
The estate was held in tail, meaning only the eldest son could inherit it.
held in tail — legal phrase for restricted inheritance
A tail estate prevents the current owner from selling the property to outsiders.
The lawyer explained that the land was tail property under the old family settlement.
Under the terms of the will, the manor was granted in tail male to the eldest heir.
- entailed
the more common modern adjective for this legal restriction.
- freehold
full ownership without inheritance restrictions.
用法筆記
Almost exclusively used in historical legal contexts. The modern equivalent is 'fee tail'. Most learners will encounter this only in literature or historical documents. The phrase 'in tail' appears in fixed legal expressions.