What does tail mean?
A tail is the appendage projecting from the rear of many animals, such as a cat's tail or the tapering rear of a fish. The word also refers to the last part of a longer thing: the tail of a queue, the tail end of a road, or the tail of a line of text. “Tail” can further mean the reverse side of a coin, as in the familiar distinction between heads and tails. As a verb, it means to follow someone closely, especially when the person doing the following is maintaining a suspicious or persistent interest. This sense is common in informal and journalistic language, as in “the reporter tailed the suspect.” Across these uses, the central idea is continuation, sequence, or pursuit: a tail is what comes after the main body. The word is consequently useful when discussing anatomy, sequence, movement, and the final stages of an event or process.
The projecting appendage at the rear of an animal, especially a vertebrate; by extension, the final part of a sequence, process, or object.
"The dog wagged its tail when it heard its owner approaching."
The sense for the last part of a longer sequence is common in phrases such as “the tail of the queue” and “the tail end.”
To follow or trail another person closely.
"A suspicious car tailed the van for several miles."
This is an informal and journalistic usage; in some contexts it suggests persistence, pursuit, or suspicious surveillance.
The plural is used for multiple animals, separate tail-like projections, or multiple final portions of a sequence.
"Several foxes poked their heads out of the burrows, their tails disappearing back into the darkness."
Even money has a tail: the reverse of a coin.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does tail come from?
The English word descends from Old English tæl, meaning the rear appendage of an animal, and was already established by the medieval period. Its deeper relationship to related Germanic forms, including Dutch staart and German Schwanz, is generally recognized, although the precise prehistoric development of the word is uncertain.
Related word forms
How tail is actually used
As a verb meaning to follow someone closely, “tail” is common in informal and journalistic English and may sound mildly intrusive. In “the tail of the queue,” “tail end,” and related expressions, it refers to the final or least favorable position. The noun is standard in both British and American English.
Easily confused with tail
A tale is a story or narrative, whereas a tail is an animal's rear appendage or the final part of something.