A Quick and Simple Dictionary

tail

1. Noun.  (anatomy) The caudal appendage of an animal that is attached to its posterior and near the anus.
2. Noun.  The tail-end of an object, e.g. the rear of an aircraft's fuselage, containing the tailfin.
3. Noun.  An object or part thereof resembling a tail in shape, such as the thongs on a cat-o'-nine-tails or other multi-tail whip.
4. Noun.  The rear structure of an aircraft, the empennage.
5. Noun.  ''Specifically,'' the visible stream of dust and gases blown from a comet by the solar wind.
6. Noun.  The latter part of a time period or event, or (collectively) persons or objects represented in this part.
7. Noun.  (statistics) The part of a distribution most distant from the mode; ''as'', a long tail.
8. Noun.  One who surreptitiously follows another.
9. Noun.  (cricket) The last four or five batsmen in the batting order, usually specialist bowlers.
10. Noun.  (typography) The lower loop of the letters in the Roman alphabet, as in ''g'', ''q'' or ''y''.
11. Noun.  (chiefly, in plural) The side of a coin not bearing the head; normally the side on which the monetary value of the coin is indicated; the reverse.
12. Noun.  (mathematics) (of a sequence) All the last terms of a sequence, from some term on.
13. Noun.  (context, now) The buttocks or backside.
14. Noun.  (slang) The male member of a person or animal.
15. Noun.  (slang, uncountable) Sexual intercourse.
16. Noun.  (context, kayaking) the stern; the back of the kayak.
17. Verb.  (transitive) To surreptitiously follow and observe.