tail

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

n. appendage, end; cauda; tip, extremity; rear, rudder, queue, pigtail, train; slang, shadow. See pendency, pursuit.

II

(Roget's IV) n.

1. [The prolongation of the spinal column]

Syn. rear end, rear appendage, extremity, stub, hind part, caudal appendage, cauda (Latin), coccyx, brush, scut, flag, dock, rudder*, cue*, fly swatter*, tassel*, wagger*; see also rear .

2. [The end of anything, especially if elongated]

Syn. last part, hindmost part, tailpiece; see end 4 .

Ant. origin*, head, beginning.

3. [The rear of an aircraft].

Parts in the tail of an airplane include: empennage, tail group, rudder, tail assembly, tail skid, stabilizer, diving rudder, horizontal tail fin, elevator, airfoil.

• on one's tail*,

Syn. behind, shadowing, trailing; see following .

• turn tail*,

Syn. run away, evade, avoid; see escape .

• with one's tail between one's legs*,

Syn. in defeat, in fear, humbly, dejectedly; see fearfully .

III

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus)

I

n.

1. rear rump, backside, buttocks, *butt, hind end, posterior, behind, derriere, *tush, *ass.

2. appendage extremity, brush, whip, scut, coccyx.

II

v.

follow, trail, shadow, dog, hound, stalk, tag.

IV

(Roget's Thesaurus II) I noun 1. The hindmost part of something: end, rear1, tag end, tail end. See PRECEDE. 2. Something that follows : trail, train, wake2. See PRECEDE. 3. Informal. An agent assigned to observe and report on another: shadow, watcher. See INVESTIGATE. II verb Informal. To keep (another) under surveillance by moving along behind: dog, follow, shadow, track, trail. Informal: bird-dog. See PRECEDE.