Definition of the word tail

Pronunciation of vocabulary tail

tailnoun

đuôi, đoạn cuối

/teɪl/

Definition of the word <b>tail</b>

Origin of the word tail

The word "tail" has a rich history dating back to Old English. The term originated from the Proto-Germanic word "taliz," which was derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "tolas," meaning "to fold" or "to bend." In Old English, the word "tail" referred to thebackend of an animal, including a beast's hindquarters or a stream's flowing end. Over time, the meaning of "tail" expanded to include various figurative meanings, such as the back part of an object, a trailing or dangling appendage, or even a person's buttocks. The word has undergone little change in spelling or pronunciation since its Old English roots, remaining a fundamental term in the English language. Today, "tail" is used in a wide range of contexts, from zoology to technology, and continues to evolve with new meanings and connotations.

Vocabulary summary tail

typenoun

meaningtail (animal, bird, fish...)

exampleto wag the tail

meaningtail, end, end

examplethe tail of a kite

examplethe tail of a comet

examplethe tail of a coat

meaningentourage

typeverb

meaningadd tail, attach tail

exampleto wag the tail

meaningstem

examplethe tail of a kite

examplethe tail of a comet

examplethe tail of a coat

meaning(: in) put (beams, purlins, trusses) into the wall; tie into

Example of vocabulary tailof bird/animal/fish

meaning

the part that sticks out at the back of the body of a bird, an animal or a fish, which the animal can move from side to side or up and down

bộ phận nhô ra phía sau cơ thể của một con chim, một con vật hoặc một con cá mà con vật có thể di chuyển từ bên này sang bên kia hoặc lên xuống

  • The dog ran up, wagging its tail.

    Con chó chạy tới vẫy đuôi.

  • My dog loves to chase his tail.

    Con chó của tôi thích đuổi theo đuôi của nó.

  • The male has beautiful tail feathers.

    Con đực có lông đuôi đẹp.

  • It was black from its nose to the tip of its tail.

    Nó có màu đen từ mũi đến chóp đuôi.

Example of vocabulary tail-tailed

meaning

having the type of tail mentioned

có loại đuôi được đề cập

  • a white-tailed eagle

    một con đại bàng đuôi trắng

Example of vocabulary tailof plane/spacecraft

meaning

the back part of a plane, spacecraft, etc.

phần sau của máy bay, tàu vũ trụ, v.v.

  • The plane's tail section had broken off.

    Phần đuôi máy bay đã bị gãy.

Example of vocabulary tailback/end of something

meaning

a part of something that sticks out at the back like a tail

một phần của cái gì đó nhô ra ở phía sau như một cái đuôi

  • the tail of a kite

    đuôi diều

meaning

the last part of something that is moving away from you

phần cuối cùng của thứ gì đó đang rời xa bạn

  • the tail of the procession

    đuôi của đám rước

  • the truck at the tail of our convoy

    chiếc xe tải ở đuôi đoàn xe của chúng tôi

Example of vocabulary tailjacket

meaning

a long jacket divided at the back below the waist into two pieces that become narrower at the bottom, worn by men at very formal events

một chiếc áo khoác dài được chia ở phía sau dưới thắt lưng thành hai phần hẹp hơn ở phía dưới, được đàn ông mặc trong những sự kiện rất trang trọng

  • The men all wore top hat and tails.

    Những người đàn ông đều đội mũ chóp và đeo đuôi.

Example of vocabulary tailside of coin

meaning

the side of a coin that does not have a picture of the head of a person on it, used as one choice when a coin is tossed to decide something

mặt của đồng xu không có hình đầu người trên đó, được sử dụng như một lựa chọn khi tung đồng xu để quyết định điều gì đó

Example of vocabulary tailperson who follows somebody

meaning

a person who is sent to follow somebody secretly and find out information about where that person goes, what they do, etc.

một người được cử đi theo dõi ai đó một cách bí mật và tìm hiểu thông tin về nơi người đó đi, họ làm gì, v.v.

  • The police have put a tail on him.

    Cảnh sát đã theo dõi anh ta.

Words, synonyms, related vocabulary tail

Idioms of vocabulary tail

can’t make head nor/or tail of something
to be unable to understand something
  • I couldn't make head nor tail of what he was saying.
    • chase your (own) tail
    (informal)to be very busy but in fact achieve very little
    heads or tails?
    used to ask somebody which side of a coin they think will be facing upwards when it is tossed in order to decide something by chance
    nose to tail
    (British English)if cars, etc. are nose to tail, they are moving slowly in a long line with little space between them
  • The traffic was nose to tail for miles.
    • on somebody’s tail
    (informal)following behind somebody very closely, especially in a car
  • There’s been a white van sitting on my tail for the past ten miles.
    • a sting in the tail
    (informal)an unpleasant feature that comes at the end of a story, an event, etc. and makes it less good, successful, etc.
    the tail (is) wagging the dog
    used to describe a situation in which the most important aspect is being influenced and controlled by somebody/something that is not as important
    turn tail
    to run away from a fight or dangerous situation
  • When they heard the sirens, they turned tail and ran.
    • with your tail between your legs
    (informal)feeling ashamed or unhappy because you have been defeated or punished

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