tail
Meaning: The rear part of an animal's body; the back end of something; to follow closely
Tail refers to the extension at the rear of an animal's body, but also applies to the back end of aircraft, queues, or anything elongated. As a verb, it means to follow someone secretly. 'Heads or tails' is the coin toss question. 'Tail end' means the very last part.
Examples
- The dog wagged its tail excitedly when we came home. 我们回家时,狗兴奋地摇着尾巴。El perro movió la cola con entusiasmo cuando llegamos a casa.私たちが帰宅すると、犬は興奮してしっぽを振りました。우리가 집에 돌아오자 개가 신나서 꼬리를 흔들었습니다.
- There was a long tail of traffic stretching back for miles. 长长的车流延伸了好几英里。Había una larga cola de tráfico que se extendía por kilómetros.何マイルも続く長い渋滞の列がありました。몇 마일이나 이어지는 긴 차량 행렬이 있었습니다.
- The detective tailed the suspect through the city streets. 侦探在城市街道上跟踪嫌疑人。El detective siguió al sospechoso por las calles de la ciudad.探偵は街の通りを通って容疑者を尾行しました。형사는 도시의 거리를 통해 용의자를 미행했습니다.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: general
Tone: neutral
Origin & History
From Old English 'tægl' meaning 'the tail of an animal', from Proto-Germanic 'taglaz'. Related to Old Norse 'tagl' (horse's tail) and Gothic 'tagl' (hair). The verb sense of 'to follow' dates from the 16th century.
Cultural Context
Era: Modern
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
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