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1. In U.S. Treasury auctions, the price spread between the average competitive bid on bills, notes, and bonds sold in Treasury auctions and the Stopout Price.

2. Money market term for a financial instrument partially financed by a Repurchase Agreement. For example, a dealer buys a 90-day Treasury bill and sells a 30-day repurchase agreement. The maturity difference between the two is the tail.

3. Finance. The figures appearing after the decimal point in a bond quotation. For example, in a bid of $95.3712, the tail is .3712. Bond prices also are quoted in dollars plus 32/100 of a dollar.

4. Estates. The property inherited by direct descendents, for example, children or grandchildren of a decedent. Called an estate in tail.

noun

1. The hindmost part of something: end, rear¹, tag end, tail end. See precede/follow.
2. Something that follows or is drawn along behind: trail, train, wake². See precede/follow.
3. An agent assigned to observe and report on another: shadow, watcher. See investigate.

verb

To keep (another) under surveillance by moving along behind: dog, follow, shadow, track, trail. Informal bird-dog. See precede/follow.

phrasal verb - tail away (or off)

To grow or cause to grow gradually less: abate, decrease, diminish, drain, dwindle, ebb, lessen, let up, peter (out), rebate, reduce, taper (off). See increase/decrease.

Idioms beginning with tail:
tailspin
tailor-made for
tail between one's legs, with one's
tail off

See also bright-eyed and bushy-tailed; can't make head or tail of; get off one's tail; heads or tails; in two shakes (of a lamb's tail); on someone's coattails; tiger by the tail; turn tail; work one's fingers to the bone (tail off).

Definition: end piece, part
Antonyms: front, head

v

Definition: follow
Antonyms: front, head, run away

n. the rear part of an airplane, with the tailplane and rudder.

See the Introduction, Abbreviations and Pronunciation for further details.

1. The tapering end of those parts of a frequency distribution away from the arithmetic mean. Statistically, a one-tailed test investigates only one end of a distribution; a two-tailed test investigates both ends.

2. See crag and tail.

1. Exposed lower portion of a slate shingle.
2. Tailing.
3. See rafter tail.
4. See lookout.

Limited, abridged, reduced, or cur- tailed.

An estate in tail is a legally recognizable interest of inheritance that goes to the heirs of the donee's body instead of descending to the donee's heirs generally. The heirs of the donee's body are his or her lawful issue (children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and so on, in a direct line for as long as the descendants endure in a regular order and course of descent). Upon the death of the first owner to die without issue, the estate tail ends.

See: entail.

n.

The part of an animal's spine that has transcended its natural limitations to set up an independent existence in a world of its own. Excepting in its foetal state, Man is without a tail, a privation of which he attests an hereditary and uneasy consciousness by the coat-skirt of the male and the train of the female, and by a marked tendency to ornament that part of his attire where the tail should be, and indubitably once was. This tendency is most observable in the female of the species, in whom the ancestral sense is strong and persistent. The tailed men described by Lord Monboddo are now generally regarded as a product of an imagination unusually susceptible to influences generated in the golden age of our pithecan past.

LearnThatWord.com is a free vocabulary and spelling program where you only pay for results!

A tail can refer to excitement, as in a dog that wags its tale, or the opposite, as when a tail is dragged between one's legs. There are numerous idioms involving this word, and dreams in which a tail is featured can be alluding to the meaning of any one of them: "turn tail," "on someone else's coattails," a "tail wagging the dog," or the "tail end" of something.

1. an extension growing or appending from a point of origin or attachment. For example, the fatty-acyl groups of a phospholipid and the glycerol to which they are bonded are referred to as the tail. Compare headgroup.
2. (in chromatography) a region of more slowly moving or decomposed material extending back from a band towards the origin. See also poly(A) tail, tailing.

• Hair Styles - tail: few locks of nape hairs left long with the rest cut short
• Animal Types and Parts - tail: flexible appendage at rear of animal’s body; feathers extending from rump of bird
• Building and Machine Parts - tail: end of rafter that extends beyond exterior wall
• Airframe and Engines - tail: rear part of aircraft, providing stability
• Garment Parts - tail: shirttail
• Fishing Practice and Techniques - tail: downstream end of pool
• Mood and Intent - tail: Informal. follow
• Sexuality or Gender
• Sexuality and Libido - tail: Vulgar slang. woman viewed as a sex object; piece
• Secrecy and Concealment - tail: (vb) secretly observe or follow; (n) one who does this

For other uses, see Tail (disambiguation).

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2008)

A lion's tail

The tail is the section at the rear end of an animal's body; in general, the term refers to a distinct, flexible appendage to the torso. It is the part of the body that corresponds roughly to the sacrum and coccyx in mammals, reptiles, and birds. While tails are primarily a feature of vertebrates, some invertebrates including scorpions and springtails, as well as snails and slugs, have tail-like appendages that are sometimes referred to as tails. Tailed objects are sometimes referred to as "caudate" and the part of the body associated with or proximal to the tail are given the adjective "caudal".

Contents 1 Function 2 Types 3 Human tails 4 Gallery 5 See also 6 References

Function

Alopex lagopus (arctic fox) sleeping with its tail wrapped as a blanket.

Animal tails are used in a variety of ways. They provide a source of locomotion for fish and some other forms of marine life. Many land animals use their tails to brush away flies and other biting insects. Some species, including cats and kangaroos, use their tails for balance; and some, such as New World monkeys and opossums, have what are known as prehensile tails, which are adapted to allow them to grasp tree branches.

Tails are also used for social signaling. Some deer species flash the white underside of their tails to warn other nearby deer of possible danger, and canids (including domestic dogs) indicate emotions through the positioning and movement of their tails. Some species' tails are armored, and some, such as the those of scorpions, contain venom.

Some species of lizard can detach ("cast") their tails from their bodies. This can help them to escape from predators, which are either distracted by the wriggling detached tail, or left with only the tail while the rest of the lizard flees. Tails cast in this manner generally grow back over time, though the replacement is typically darker in colour than the original.

The tails of most birds end in long feathers called rectrices. These feathers are used as a rudder, helping the bird to steer and maneuver in flight; they also help the bird to balance while it is perched. In some species—such as birds of paradise, lyrebirds, and most notably peafowl—modified tail feathers play an important role in courtship displays. The extra-stiff tail feathers of other species, including woodpeckers and woodcreepers, allow them to brace themselves firmly against tree trunks.

The tails of grazing animals, such as horses, are used both to sweep away insects, and positioned or moved in ways that indicate the animal's physical or emotional state.

Types

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

A scut is a short, erect tail. Hares, rabbits, and deer have scuts.

A prehensile tail is a tail that can grasp or hold objects. Examples are monkeys, rats and snakes (prehensile body).

Human tails

Human embryos have a tail that measures about one-sixth of the size of the embryo itself.^[1] As the embryo develops into a fetus, the tail is absorbed by the growing body. The developmental tail is thus a human vestigial structure.^[2][3] Infrequently,^{[clarification needed]} a child is born with a "soft tail", which contains no vertebrae, but only blood vessels, muscles and nerves, although there have been several documented cases of tails containing cartilage or up to five vertebrae.^[4] Some of these tails may in fact be sacrococcygeal teratomas. A man named Chandre Oram, who lives in West Bengal, a state in India, is famous because of his 33-centimetre (13 in) tail. It is not believed to be a true tail, however, but rather a case of spina bifida.

Humans have a "tail bone" (the coccyx) attached to the pelvis, in the same place which other mammals have tails. The tail bone is formed of fused vertebrae, usually four, at the bottom of the vertebral column. It does not protrude externally, but retains an anatomical purpose: providing an attachment for muscles like the gluteus maximus.^{[citation needed]}

Gallery

• 

  Scorpion

• 

  Pig (Sus domestica)

• 

  Glyptodon (Glyptodon asper)

• 

  Longhorn cowfish (Lactoria cornuta)

• 

  Grévy's zebra (Equus grevyi)

• 

  Polo pony (Equus ferus caballus)

• 

  American alligator (Alligator mississipiensis)

• 

  Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius)

See also

• Rump (animal)
• Empennage, the tail of an aircraft

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Tails

1. ^ "Human fetuses have tails, proving that evolution is true". The Free Lance-Star. July 5, 2005. http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2005/072005/07052005/109580. Retrieved 2009-04-28. 
2. ^ "Human tail–caudal appendage: tethered cord". Nature. February 1, 2008. http://www.nature.com/jp/journal/v28/n7/full/jp200839a.html. Retrieved 2009-04-28. 
3. ^ "The 'human tail' causing tethered cervical cord". Nature (journal). November 14, 2006. http://www.nature.com/sc/journal/v45/n8/full/3101988a.html. Retrieved 2009-04-28. 
4. ^ Mouied Alashari, Joy Torakawa: True Tail in a Newborn, Pediatric Dermatology 12(3), pp 263–266, 2008

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

Dansk (Danish)
1.
n. - hale, svans, ende, bagende, skøde (beklædning)
v. tr. - skygge, følge efter, observere
v. intr. - drive
adj. - følge-, bag-

idioms:

• on a person's tail    skygge en person
• tail away    dø hen, gradvis mindske
• tail end    sidste del, den svagere del, slutdelen
• tail of the eye    se ud af øjenkrogen
• tail wind    medvind
• the tail is wagging the dog    det er halen der logrer hunden
• turn tail    tage flugten, flygte
• with one's tail between one's legs    med halen mellem benene

2.
n. - begrænsning af ejerskab
adj. - begrænset til en bestemt arvelinie

Nederlands (Dutch)
staart, (uit)einde, vlecht, slip(jas), schaduwen, beperking van eigendom wat betreft erfrecht

Français (French)
1.
n. - (Zool) queue, queue (d'un avion, d'un véhicule), filature, postérieur (fam), natte (de cheveux), fin (d'un voyage, d'un orage), file/queue, (Imprim) bas de page, pile (d'une pièce), revers, piste (d'une personne, d'un animal), fileur (fam), habit queue-de-pie, pan (d'une chemise), basque
v. tr. - filer, suivre, prendre en filature
v. intr. - changer/pencher dans une certaine direction (objet en vol)
adj. - venant de l'arrière, à l'arrière

idioms:

• on someone's tail    suivre qn de près, talonner qn
• tail away    s'éteindre
• tail back    (GB) remonter (la circulation), s'étirer jusqu'à
• tail down    descendre (un chargement lourd) le long d'une pente raide
• tail end    dernier morceau, fin (film), derrière (fam)
• tail in    talonner
• tail of one's eye    (regarder) de côté
• tail off    diminuer, baisser, s'éteindre
• tail wind    vent arrière
• the tail is wagging the dog    c'est le monde à l'envers!, (fig) les subordonnés l'emportent sur les chefs
• turn tail    tourner les talons
• with one's tail between one's legs    (partir) la queue basse

2.
n. - (Jur) limitation du droit de propriété
adj. - (Hist, Jur) limité/restreint (à un lignée d'héritiers spécifique)

Deutsch (German)
1.
n. - Schwanz, Schweif, Ende, Schlange, Heck, Kometenschweif, minderwertiger Teil, Hemdzipfel, Notenhals, (ugs.) Schatten, Unterlänge, (ugs.) Hintern, ruhigeres Wasser
v. - verfolgen, beschatten, entstielen, stutzen, mit einem Schwanz versehen, verbinden
adj. - von rückwärts

idioms:

• on someone's tail    jdm. folgen
• tail away    zurückgehen, verstummen
• tail back    in einen Stau kommen
• tail down    eine Holzrutsche hinunterrollen
• tail end    die Rückseite von etwas
• tail in    in die Wand einlassen
• tail of one's eye    jd. aus dem Augenwinkel beobachten
• tail off    zurückgehen, verstummen
• tail wind    Rückenwind
• the tail is wagging the dog    der Unbedeutendste führt das Regiment, etwas Unwichtiges erhält zu große Bedeutung
• turn tail    die Flucht ergreifen
• with one's tail between one's legs    mit eingezogenem Schwanz

2.
n. - (ugs.) Schatten, Beschränkung (der Erbfolge)
adj. - beschränkt

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - ουρά, παρακολουθών, "σκιά", πίσω μέρος, (καθομ.) γκόμενα, θηλυκό, οπίσθια, πισινός
v. - παρακολουθώ στενά, ακολουθώ, είμαι ουραγός
adj. - της ουράς, οπίσθιος

idioms:

• not make head or tail of    (καθομ.) δεν βγάζω/βρίσκω άκρη από
• on a person's tail    που παρακολουθεί κάποιον από κοντά
• tail away    σβήνω
• tail end    ουρά, τελευταίο τμήμα, τέλος
• tail of the eye    άκρη του ματιού
• tail wind    (ναυτ., μτφ.) ούριος άνεμος
• the tail is wagging the dog    σηκώθηκαν τα πόδια και βαράνε το κεφάλι
• turn tail    παίρνω δρόμο, το βάζω στα πόδια
• with one's tail between one's legs    με την ουρά στα σκέλια

Italiano (Italian)
coda, pedinare, codino

idioms:

• on a person's tail    sulle orme di
• tail off/away    diminuire, svanire
• tail wind    vento di poppa
• the tail is wagging the dog    la coda scodinzola il cane
• turn tail    scappare
• with one's tail between one's legs    con la coda fra le gambe

Português (Portuguese)
n. - cauda (f), final (m), trança (f), rabo (m) de cabelo
v. - colocar uma cauda, seguir imediatamente, amarrar por uma extremidade
adj. - no fim, nas costas, atrás

idioms:

• on a person's tail    perseguir alguém muito próximo, espionar, vigiar
• tail end    final, extremidade
• tail of the eye    canto do olho
• tail off/away    colocar no fim de uma lista, considerar imprestável, ficar para trás
• tail wind    vento de popa, vento de cauda
• the tail is wagging the dog    o detalhe está se tornando mais importante do que a parte principal
• turn tail    correr, fugir, escapar, virar as costas
• with one's tail between one's legs    com o rabo entre as pernas, humilhado, vencido

Русский (Russian)
(сущ.) Хвост, что-то, напомин. хвост (хвост кометы), нижний кончик (рубахи), конечная фаза (чего-л.), уголок (глаза), подол юбки, свита, сыщик, неотступно следующий (за кем-л.), очередь

idioms:

• on a person's tail    неотступно следовать (за кем-л.)
• tail end    конец, хвост, заключ. часть речи, (ав.) хвостовая часть самолета, (мор.) задний конец, концевой вал
• tail of the eye    уголок глаза
• tail off/away    убывать, исчезать, замирать
• tail wind    Попутный ветер
• the tail is wagging the dog    (ирон.) хвост виляет собакой
• turn tail    повернуться и броситься наутек
• with one's tail between one's legs    поджать хвост, струсить

Español (Spanish)
1.
n. - cola, rabo, la parte postrera de un animal que se prolonga del resto del cuerpo
v. tr. - seguir de cerca
v. intr. - (de un objeto en vuelo) cambiar o girar en una dirección en particular
adj. - de cola, trasero, de faldones

idioms:

• on someone's tail    seguir a uno
• tail away    ir disminuyendo, ir apagándose, alargarse
• tail back    (fútbol americano) jugador trasero
• tail down    dispersarse, desvanecerse
• tail end    conclusión final
• tail in    insertar el extremo de una piedra o ladrillo en una pared
• tail of one's eye    el rabillo del ojo
• tail off    ir disminuyendo, ir apagándose, alargarse
• tail wind    viento de cola o trasero
• the tail is wagging the dog    cuando una pequeña parte de algo controla el todo
• turn tail    poner pies en polvorosa
• with one's tail between one's legs    con el rabo entre las piernas

2.
n. - restricción de propiedad
adj. - propiedad limitada a ciertos herederos

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - svans, stjärt, slut, sista del, kö, bakre del, ända, skört, släp, baksida av mynt, fläta, deckare, spårhund, begränsning av arvsrätt (jur.)
v. - förse med svans, kupera, snoppa, hänga efter, skugga, haka på
adj. - änd-, svans-, slut- etc.

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
1. 尾巴, 尾状物, 尾部, 发辫, 尾部的, 从后面来的, 后部的, 为...装尾, 尾随, 附于其后, 变少, 缩小, 跟踪

idioms:

• on a person's tail    盯梢某人
• tail away    跑开, 变少, 缩小, 有头无尾的结束, 不了了之
• tail end    终了, 末尾, 末端, 屁股
• tail of the eye    眼梢, 眼角
• tail wind    顺风
• the tail is wagging the dog    指处于从属地位的势力本末倒置地执掌指挥或控制权
• turn tail    逃跑
• with one's tail between one's legs    惊惶地

2. 限嗣继承, 限制继承

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
1.
n. - 限嗣繼承, 限制繼承

2.
n. - 尾巴, 尾狀物, 尾部, 髮辮
adj. - 尾部的, 從後面來的, 後部的
v. tr. - 為...裝尾, 尾隨, 附於其後
v. intr. - 尾隨, 變少, 縮小, 跟蹤

idioms:

• on a person's tail    盯梢某人
• tail away    跑開, 變少, 縮小, 有頭無尾的結束, 不了了之
• tail end    終了, 末尾, 末端, 屁股
• tail of the eye    眼梢, 眼角
• tail wind    順風
• the tail is wagging the dog    指處於從屬地位的勢力本末倒置地執掌指揮或控制權
• turn tail    逃跑
• with one's tail between one's legs    驚惶地

한국어 (Korean)
1.
n. - 꼬리, 자락, 미부
v. tr. - ~에 꼬리를 달다, ~에 붙이다
v. intr. - 척 늘어지다, 꼬리처럼 늘어지다
adj. - 뒤에서 오는

idioms:

• tail away    뒤로 처지다
• the tail is wagging the dog    주객 전도, 입장이 바뀐
• turn tail    꽁무니를 빼다, 달아나다
• with one's tail between one's legs    기가 죽어, 위축되어

2.
n. - (재산상의) 계사 한정
adj. - (재산상의) 계사 한정의

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 尾, しっぽ, 尾に似た物, 尾部, 燕尾服, 後部, 裏面, 末尾, 従者
v. - 尾行する, 添付する

idioms:

• on a person's tail    すぐうしろ
• tail end    末端, 終わり
• tail of the eye    目尻
• tail off/away    しだいに減ってゆく
• tail wind    追い風
• the tail is wagging the dog    本末転倒
• the tail wags the dog    本末転倒
• with one's tail between one's legs    しっぽを巻いて

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) ذيل (فعل) يعلق بطرف شيء آخر (صفه) خلفي‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮נערה, חתיכה, מרגל, בלש, קצה, שובל, זנב, בעילה, ישבן, ישבן בולט, מעיל ערב, דממה לאחר הסערה, אברי-המין של האישה‬
v. tr. - ‮קשר הקצוות, עקב בחשאי אחרי, זינב, קיצץ, הלך בעקבות אחר או היצל עליו, צירף‬
v. intr. - ‮השתרך, הזדנב, נישא או התעקם בכיוון מיוחד‬
adj. - ‮אחורי, בא מאחור‬
n. - ‮הגבלת בעלות‬
adj. - ‮מוגבל לשושלת היורשים בלבד‬

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