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(), n.[F. taille a cutting. See Entail, Tally.] (Law) Limitation; abridgment. Burrill. Estate in tail, a limited, abridged, or reduced fee; an estate limited to certain heirs, and from which the other heirs are precluded; -- called also estate tail. Blackstone. Tail a.(Law) Limited; abridged; reduced; curtailed; as, estate tail. Tail n.[AS. tgel, tgl; akin to G. zagel, Icel. tagl, Sw. tagel, Goth. tagl hair. 59.] 1. (Zol.) The terminal, and usually flexible, posterior appendage of an animal. The tail of mammals and reptiles contains a series of movable vertebr, and is covered with flesh and hairs or scales like those of other parts of the body. The tail of existing birds consists of several more or less consolidated vertebr which supports a fanlike group of quills to which the term tail is more particularly applied. The tail of fishes consists of the tapering hind portion of the body ending in a caudal fin. The term tail is sometimes applied to the entire abdomen of a crustacean or insect, and sometimes to the terminal piece or pygidium alone. 2. Any long, flexible terminal appendage; whatever resembles, in shape or position, the tail of an animal, as a catkin. Doretus writes a great praise of the distilled waters of those tails that hang on willow trees. Harvey. 3. Hence, the back, last, lower, or inferior p Tail v. t. 1. To follow or hang to, like a tail; to be attached closely to, as that which can not be evaded. [Obs.] Nevertheless his bond of two thousand pounds, wherewith he was tailed, continued uncanceled, and was called on the next Parliament. Fuller. 2. To pull or draw by the tail. [R.] Hudibras. To tail in or on (Arch.), to fasten by one of the ends into a wall or some other support; as, to tail in a timber. Tail v. i. 1. (Arch.) To hold by the end; -- said of a timber when it rests upon a wall or other support; -- with in or into. 2. (Naut.) To swing with the stern in a certain direction; -- said of a vessel at anchor; as, this vessel tails down stream. Tail on. (Naut.) See Tally on, under Tally. Tail n. 1. pl. (Rope Making) In some forms of rope-laying machine, pieces of rope attached to the iron bar passing through the grooven wooden top containing the strands, for wrapping around the rope to be laid. 2. pl. A tailed coat; a tail coat. [Colloq. or Dial.] Tail n.(Aronautics) In flying machines, a plane or group of planes used at the rear to confer stability. スポンサード リンク
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